The Rescue
by xMorbidxAngelx
Summary: A model and firefighter meet when her workplace goes up in flame. Can they resume their normal lives after their meeting despite interfering friends and accidental meetings?
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** I wasn't really intending to start a new story since I've still got a few unfinished ones, but the idea for this popped into my head while I was walking around town the other day and I decided that adding another unfinished story to the list wasn't neccssarily a bad thing :P Anyway, I'm drawing a blank with The Bad Influence at the moment and I'm going to rewrite Angel In Disguise at some point. As for Ti Voglio Bene, I'm not going to continue that one. That was my very first fic and I don't really like it. I'm working on another story at the moment, but that one won't be put on here until I've finished it :P So that's what's happening at the moment. I hope you enjoy this one :)

xMxAx

"_**Take a chance! All life is a chance.**_

_**The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare."**_

… **Dale Carnegie … **

**Chapter I**

Sesshoumaru Taisho sighed to himself as he looked out the window of the vehicle he was sitting in as it sped through the city streets and attempted to ignore the shiver of both excitement and dread that raced down his spine as he realised that the vehicle was slowing down. He had been a fire fighter for ten years and although he enjoyed his job, he was always apprehensive about what he would find at the scene of a fire. Today was no different from any other day as far as he was concerned. There were quiet days when his shift was spent in the warmth of the station and other times when he found himself wondering what awaited him outside the vehicle.

As his feet touched the asphalt, Sesshoumaru looked up and was greeted by the sight of a single storey building in flames. Resisting the urge to shake his head and tut at the owner's carelessness, he made his way across to where several of his colleagues were heading towards the door in search of anyone trapped within the building. Once within the building, Sesshoumaru soon realised that the building was essentially one large room with several doors leading to smaller rooms. When it became obvious that there was no one trapped within the building, the small group of men quickly left the building to help tackle the now dying flames and it was only half an hour later when the fire had been completely put out that Sesshoumaru could look around him and see the people who had been within the building.

It took a moment for him to truly accept what he was seeing as reality and not a trick his eyes were playing on him and his over active imagination, but eventually Sesshoumaru decided that he was not hallucinating. Despite the chilly winter air, several women stood near a row of parked cars clad in only underwear that left very little to the imagination. A group of men stood nearby and each of them wore grave expressions as they looked from the scantily clad women to the shell of a building behind then and Sesshoumaru could only wonder what had been going on before the blaze. In comparison to the almost inhuman calm aura that the men seemed to radiate, the women's reactions ranged from disturbed to hysterical as they stood in a tight group in an attempt to shield themselves from the inquisitive eyes of passersby and the people present at the scene.

"What was going on here?" Sesshoumaru's colleague, Kouga, asked as they approached the men.

"We needed candles for a particular shoot and the set went up in flames," one of the men answered casually as though this happened on a regular basis.

"Just what were you trying to shoot?" Kouga demanded with a frown.

"We're photographers for one of the leading womens' magazines," the unknown man explained with exaggerated patience and gestured towards the women nearby. "These ladies are the models for the latest issue but unfortunately it seemed that the one of the ideas suggested to us didn't go according to plan."

"That much is obvious," Kouga muttered and looked at the burnt building. "You got insurance?"

"Probably."

"Probably? Don't you know?"

"Not my job to know that," the man said with a shrug. "I take the photos, they publish the ones they like and pay me. That's all there is to it."

"Who owns this building?"

"The magazine, I guess. They suggested we use the place."

Shaking his head, Kouga muttered something about having to deal with irresponsible idiots before leading the man away and leaving Sesshoumaru standing alone. The long shadows on the ground indicated that the end of the day was drawing close and Sesshoumaru couldn't be more grateful as he could soon be on his way home. Relishing the thought of being in his own home, he surveyed his surroundings, not entirely sure what he was supposed to do until the police arrived. Although he was one of the longest serving fire fighters, Sesshoumaru still felt at a loss when the blaze had been put out and he was not on his way back to the station. Kouga seemed to take charge and most of the other men gladly let him do as he deemed fit while they lounged around or in the vehicle, but Sesshoumaru could never bring himself to be so nonchalant after a fire. Sometimes passersby or people who had been in the building would attempt conversation with him, but that didn't happen today and he was left to his own devices.

Sighing to himself, Sesshoumaru leaned against the vehicle and found his eyes once again on the scantily clad women and he was sure that the raucous laughter that he could hear from his colleagues had something to do with the women. Most of the women seemed to have calmed down by this time and only a few who had succumbed to tears were being comforted by their friends. The stronger women of the group seemed to be oddly proud of the attention they were getting because of their slightly inappropriate attire which only made Sesshoumaru wonder how any of them could be models when they behaved in such a depraved manner, eager for any attention whether it was good or bad. However, there was one exception that caught Sesshoumaru's eye as he scanned the small group of people.

Having been under the impression that models were the kind who enjoyed showing off their body and being the centre of attention, Sesshoumaru was surprised when his amber eyes fell on a small figure sitting on the front of a car, slightly away from the other women, with her arms wrapped around her knees and her face hidden by dark hair. She was dressed in much the same way as most of her colleagues, although in Sesshoumaru's opinion, it was more tasteful than that of the other's despite the fact that it was almost transparent. Instead of revealing underwear, this woman was clad in a tantalising bright blue lace slip and although her arms shielded both her face and the front of her body from view, Sesshoumaru was willing to bet that there would be nothing left to the imagination if she were to turn around. Wondering why anyone would voluntarily wear such an article of clothing, Sesshoumaru pushed himself off the vehicle he had been leaning against and shrugged off the heavy jacket that shielded him so well from both the cold and the flames. Silently, he approached the quiet woman and draped the jacket over her shoulders and was mildly surprised when she squeaked in surprise, turning around as she looked up and revealed his earlier thoughts about her clothing to be very true.

"For the cold," Sesshoumaru said quietly by way of explanation as he watched the woman try and fail several times to form a question.

"Thank you."

A vague smile graced her lips as she pulled the enormous garment closer around her and carefully avoided the slightly heated glares from her colleagues. After a moment, she was able to collect her thoughts and looked up at the man who leaned against the car she sat on. He seemed intent of staring up at the darkening sky above him but soon looked her way when he sensed her gaze. At first glance, one would be forgiven for thinking the woman was really quite plain, but Sesshoumaru realised that that was far from the truth as he returned her steady gaze. Her short dark hair only just reached her shoulders and swayed with each movement of her head while her brown eyes held specks of gold. She had straightened her legs and Sesshoumaru discovered that they were long and slim and her hands looked very delicate as they clutched the fabric of his jacket.

"Is this a regular occurrence or am I just special?" she asked softly, looking away towards the nearby group of women who had resumed their conversation.

"I'm sorry?" Sesshoumaru stared at her in confusion as he struggled to find the meaning behind her words.  
"Do you offer your jacket to many women?"

"No, this is the first time, I believe."

"Hmm… I am special then."

Sesshoumaru tilted his head slightly as he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. In response, she tilted her head as well and gave him a teasing smile as she waited to see how he would respond. When Sesshoumaru was silent for a few moments, his attention was drawn back to the woman when she laughed softly.

"I'm Rin Nakamura," she said, her smile still in place as she looked at him.

"Sesshoumaru Taisho."

"How long have you been a fire fighter?"

"Ten years," Sesshoumaru replied, slightly taken aback by how she easily drew him into conversation.

"Really? You don't look a day over 21," Rin stated with a slight frown.

"Thank you."

Rin sighed softly and leaned back against the car as she pulled the jacket closer around her, inhaling the scent of smoke and traces of sandalwood. A slight smile crossed her face as she allowed herself to be comforted by the scents only to be brought back to reality when her companion cleared his throat.

"What were you doing in that building?" Sesshoumaru asked, pushing aside the explanation he had overheard earlier.

"Taking pictures for a magazine article."

"Dressed like that?"

"Well, it was for the lingerie section."

"Hm."

"Is it not pretty enough?" Rin asked with a coy smile as she sat up and turned to look at him with feigned innocence.

"I'm sorry?" Sesshoumaru stared at the woman in shock, completely at a loss for what to say in response.

"I thought this was pretty, don't you think so?"

There was silence as Sesshoumaru stared down at the woman who had turned around to face him, her head tilted innocently but a sly smile pulling her lips as she watched him struggle for a response. For a few minutes, there was nothing Sesshoumaru could do except expertly imitate a fish as he tried to regain his composure and form one of the cold comments he was so good at. Throughout his life, he had been known for the iron-like grip he kept on his emotions but now he was floored and all because of a lingerie model in a slip that was far to revealing for the oppressed side of his personality to handle. The jacket still hung over her shoulders and shielded her from the view of anyone other than him, but even though he knew that she was only teasing him, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but agree that the slip was indeed very pretty. Swallowing hard, he valiantly fought the blush that threatened to creep across his pale face when he realised that she wore nothing beneath slip except a thong.

"I suppose it is pretty to those who appreciate such things," Sesshoumaru said gruffly and looked away, not noticing Rin's grin.

"Do you?" Rin pressed, suppressing a giggle at the stoic man's obvious discomfort.

"Do I what?"

"Appreciate things like this?" she asked, gesturing to her skimpy garment.

"I…"

For the first time in his life, Sesshoumaru found himself grateful that Kouga had interrupted a conversation. His friend appeared at his shoulder with a broad grin as his blue eyes landed on the girl on the car beside his friend. Rin tilted her head slightly and narrowed her eyes slightly as she recognised the appreciative gleam in the newcomer's eyes. Making her disapproval obvious, she pulled her knees up to her chest and pulled the jacket around her so that only her head was visible. Kouga shook his head in amusement before turning to Sesshoumaru who watched the pair with a bemused expression.

"We can go now," Kouga said with a grin. "Our shift will be over when we get back to the station."

"The police have arrived?"

"About five minutes ago," Kouga said happily before turning to Rin. "Sorry miss, I'm going to have to take him away now."

Without another word, Sesshoumaru was dragged away by an excited Kouga. As they made their way back towards their vehicle, he cast a glance over his shoulder to the woman who had made his dislike for Kouga so obvious. She still sat on the car and sat upright as she watched them walk away. When she caught his amber gaze, Rin smiled cheerfully before slipping off the car and getting to her feet as the photographer called all the models over.

"She's a beauty, Sesh," Kouga said with a grin as he clapped his friend on the back. "You can see why she's a model. Go for it, you won't regret it."

"I won't be going for anything. I don't know her," Sesshoumaru replied irritably as he hoisted himself up into the vehicle beside his friend.

"I bet you want to."

"Kouga, my mind is not solely dedicated to women like yours. If you like her so much, then why don't you go after her?"

"She doesn't like me."

"That was quite obvious."

"Besides," Kouga said with a grin. "I have Ayame."

"The poor woman."

Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru looked out the window into the setting sun. The chances of seeing Rin again in such a large city were slim to none and even though he knew he shouldn't be, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but be slightly disappointed that the odds were not stacked in his favour. Sighing to himself, he resigned himself to having lost a jacket and a chance to befriend an incredible woman.


	2. Chapter 2

"_**Take chances, make mistakes. **_

_**That's how you grow.**_

_**Pain nourishes your courage.**_

_**You have to fail in order to practice being brave."**_

… **Mary Tyler Moore … **

**Chapter II**

Days flew past after the incident during the photo shoot there was peace and quiet at the fire station, much to the relief of the men working there. Sesshoumaru always found it interesting to watch what the other men considered to be a wise way to use their free time. A few of the men were often absorbed in making sure that the vehicles always ran smoothly. Others like Kouga spent the majority of their time trying to stay in peak physical condition while Sesshoumaru was content to sit quietly in one of the most comfortable chairs he could find, most of which were about as comfortable as a nail bed, and read whatever happened to hold his interest at the time.

It was nearly a week to the day when Sesshoumaru was seated comfortably in the corner of the staff common room with a cup of steaming coffee and a book propped up against the arm of a nearby chair when the usual routine at the station was broken by a single person's arrival. The quiet that hung over the station normally was suddenly replaced by loud voices and laughter that echoed annoyingly throughout the building until Sesshoumaru eventually had to close his book when he realised that he would not be able to concentrate until whatever had captured his colleagues' attention disappeared. Bewilderment replaced irritation when he heard his name being called and he slowly got to his feet to show his face before someone was sent to fetch him.

"You got a visitor!" the young woman in the office shouted with a surly look on her face when she saw Sesshoumaru coming down the stairs.

"Who is it?" Sesshoumaru asked as he approached.

The woman frowned and shrugged as she turned away back to the half eaten sandwich that sat on her desk, leaving Sesshoumaru to stare at her with mild irritation at her unhelpful behaviour. Sighing to himself he headed towards the front of the station where he could hear his colleagues laughing and talking loudly. Grimacing at the thought of having to be in the same room as them when they were feeling so rowdy, Sesshoumaru was wondering if his presence was truly required if everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves so much and he was just about to walk away when he caught sight of the visitor who had supposedly come to see him.

Standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by a rather large group of men in various states of undress, was none other than Rin Nakamura. Amber eyes widened as he stared at the scene before him in amazement. Rin looked completely different to the way he had seen her last. The skimpy slip had been replaced by a knee length black skirt that swayed with each movement she made and she wore black boots that made her long legs look even longer. A pale blue blouse hugged her torso and the neckline plunged down low enough to reveal the hint of voluptuous cleavage while the shirt accentuated her curvaceous figure. A long black coat completed the ensemble and Sesshoumaru could only shake his head at what had obviously attracted all his fellow workmates to the visitor who had requested specifically to see him. Rin seemed unperturbed by the fact that she was surrounded by burly men who all vied for her attention and gave each of them smiles as she listened patiently to their little stories of what they had done since they had dealt with the incident at her workplace like a mother listening to her overexcited children's tales. Sesshoumaru found it slightly amusing as he watched the group interact for a few more moments before his gaze landed on the jacket which Rin held in her arms. Recognizing it immediately, he realised exactly what had brought her to the station.

Rin looked away from a man she was talking to when she heard someone clear their throat and found herself staring directly at Sesshoumaru Taisho as he leaned casually against a wall near the doorway at the back of the room. Her breath caught in her throat as she realised that she had forgotten how good looking the man was and she smiled briefly at him in greeting before turning her attention back to the man who was speaking to her. She sighed in relief moments later when the group scattered and she was left alone in the room with Sesshoumaru who had yet to move from where he stood.

"You seem to be quite popular here," Sesshoumaru said quietly as he pushed himself upright and walked towards her.

"It seems so," Rin replied with a blush. "Although I can't imagine why."

"It's not often that we get visitors here and a female visitor is very rare indeed."

"I see."

"A female visitor is rare, but a visitor asking for me is rarer still. To what do I owe the honour?"

"There's no need to be so formal, you know," Rin said with a smile. "I actually came to return your jacket."

"That is unexpected."

"Did you expect me to keep it?"

"I didn't expect you to come looking for me."

"Well, if you didn't expect me to return it then I'll keep it."

An elegant silver eyebrow rose as Sesshoumaru looked at the slightly shorter woman who stood before him and he realised that he had never seen her standing up this close to him before even though they had only met once before. He estimated Rin to be about average height, but her high heeled shoes definitely gave her the extra height that allowed her to reach just above his shoulders. A teasing smile pulled her lips as she looked up at him, waiting for a reply to her statement.

"If you wish to keep it, that is no problem," Sesshoumaru deadpanned, not entirely sure what kind of response she was expecting.

"You're not fun," she said with a pout and crossed her arms.

"Rin!"

The pair turned to look in the direction of the new voice and Rin's eyes narrowed slightly when she saw Kouga approaching them with a grin so wide that it would make anyone wary of his intentions. She was about to ask where he found out her name, but she supposed that he had heard it from Sesshoumaru since they seemed to be friends. Putting aside her mild irritation at being interrupted by the overly cheerful man yet again, Rin fixed a sweet smile to her face as he came to a stop beside the pair.

"You must be Kouga?" she asked politely, her eyes narrowing again as she looked him over carefully.

"Yes indeed! How did you come by that piece of information?" Kouga replied with an even wider grin.

"I heard someone talking about you," Rin said with a shrug and smiled slightly. "At least I can finally put a face to the name."

"Isn't it usually putting a name to a face?"

"Possibly, but that wouldn't really work in this situation, would it?"

Sesshoumaru watched in amazement as the banter continued on for several minutes. It was obvious to him that Rin was not overly keen on being in Kouga's presence, but he put it down to his friend's wandering eyes when they had met Rin for the first time. It did come as a surprise though that Rin didn't seem to be drawn in by Kouga's flirtatious comments and gestures as most women usually were. Sesshoumaru smirked to himself as he realised that his friend had just met his match with this woman.

"Anyway!" Kouga exclaimed after a few minutes of bantering. "I came over because there was something I wanted to ask you."

"Me?" Rin asked with a puzzled expression.

"Yes, you."

"What is it?" she asked warily, noticing that Sesshoumaru was also looking at his friend curiously.

"Well you see I'm taking my fiancée to a fancy restaurant tonight and Sesh is going to be a third wheel…"

Rin raised an eyebrow. "And this involves me how?"

"Why don't you come with us and keep Sesh company?"

Kouga was known for spur of the moment ideas and Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to shake his head at his friend's sudden question. They had met Rin only once before and Kouga was already trying to get the pair together. It was amazing to think that Kouga seemed to think that Rin would actually agree to such a ridiculous idea and it irked Sesshoumaru slightly to think that plans for his evening had already been made without him knowing.

"I'd love to," Rin said quietly, a thoughtful look on her face. Both men stared at her in surprise, not thinking she would agree. "But, I can't join you tonight."

"Why not?" Kouga asked, looking crestfallen at her words.

"I'm working tonight."

"What are you doing?"

"More photographs for a different magazine," she said with a shrug.

"Maybe next time then?"

"Maybe."

* * *

That evening, Sesshoumaru stood outside the restaurant that Kouga had told him to come to. He didn't really want to be there, but he couldn't turn down his friend without a suitable reason for doing so and saying he just wanted to stay at home wasn't much of a reason. Sighing to himself, he loosened his tie slightly and leaned against his car as he waited for his friend and fiancée to appear. After waiting for nearly fifteen minutes in the cold winter air, Sesshoumaru decided to give his friend five more minutes or he would go home. While he waited, the doors to the restaurant opened and a group of women walked out, chatting happily and loudly as they made their way towards their cars. A man followed behind and Sesshoumaru frowned slightly at the sight of the man, recognizing him but not knowing from where. It was only when a female figure appeared in the doorway that he realised where he knew the man from. It was the photographer from the scene of the fire where he had met Rin and the woman herself was walking slowly behind the larger group as though she didn't want to be anywhere near them.

"Be at the studio at nine tomorrow morning," the photographer said in a gruff voice to Rin before turning around and disappearing into the darkness.

Sesshoumaru watched as Rin paused and crossed her arms, glaring in the direction the man had gone before sighing and pulling her coat closed. With her hands thrust into her pockets, she made her way into the car park and it was only when she was halfway across the car park that Kouga decided to make an appearance. Seeing a familiar female figure, he grinned.

"Rin!"

Said woman turned around in surprise and almost grimaced when her gaze fell on Kouga. "Kouga," she greeted politely.

"Weren't you working tonight?"

"I'm finished for the night."

"You were working here?"

"No, the photographer brought us here for drinks afterwards," Rin muttered with a frown.

"You don't sound pleased?" Kouga asked curiously, unaware that Sesshoumaru was watching the scene unfold from the sidelines.

"The less time spent in his company the better."

"I see. Well, since you're here, you can have dinner with us."

Without being given a choice in the matter, Rin was pulled away by Kouga and introduced to a petite red headed woman who was apparently his fiancée before both women were pulled towards the entrance where Sesshoumaru stood leaning against his car. Rin's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the tall man in a suit instead of the clothes he had been wearing the other times she had seen him and she smiled shyly as they approached.

"Look who decided to join us!" Kouga exclaimed to his friend as he came to a stop beside the stoic man.

"You've finished work?" Sesshoumaru asked, his gaze shifting from his friend to Rin.

"I have."

"Enough talk! It's cold out here so let's go inside!"

The urge to groan was almost unbearable, but Rin somehow managed to bite back the groan that seemed desperate to escape her lips. She didn't want to have dinner, she wanted to go home and go to bed. Although if she was totally honest with herself, finding herself spending more time in the company of the stoic man who had shown some concern for her a week before was not such a bad thing. Sesshoumaru looked at her briefly and nodded as though he could read her thoughts and understood them perfectly, but stepped aside for her to walk ahead of him into the restaurant behind Kouga and Ayame who had started arguing quietly.

"Do they always argue?" Rin asked quietly as she stood beside Sesshoumaru and watched the couple argue while they waited to be seated.

"It is a regular occurrence," Sesshoumaru said just as quietly and looked at the pair in question. "It's questionable why they wish to marry when they only ever seem to argue."

"The wonders of love," Rin remarked drily and shook her head before looking up at the man beside her. "Are you married?"

"No. Are you?"

"No."

"It seems that this evening could become quite awkward," Sesshoumaru commented as he watched Ayame slap Kouga's arm after he said something to a member of staff.

"I agree. Do you think we can escape somehow?"

"Escape?"

"You don't seem to want to be here any more than I do," Rin said with a grin.

"It's true. Kouga made this plan without consulting me."

"Follow my lead."

Raising an eyebrow at her mischievous smile, Sesshoumaru followed her towards the table the small group were being led to. Predictably, Kouga sat beside Ayame and smirked as Sesshoumaru sat down beside Rin. As soon as they were comfortably seated, Rin picked up the menu and leaned towards Sesshoumaru, linking their arms and asked him what he wanted to eat. Kouga's eyes widened in surprise at the display and his jaw dropped when he saw Sesshoumaru drape an arm around Rin's shoulders, his chin on her shoulder as his eyes scanned the menu in her hands. Sesshoumaru had initially been surprised by Rin's actions, but remembering her instruction to follow her lead, he had relaxed slightly and acted his part perfectly.

"Maybe we should have oysters?" Rin said thoughtfully before leaning back against his chest and looking up into Sesshoumaru's eyes. A sly smile curved her lips as he looked down at her. "They're said to be a good aphrodisiac."

"We do not need an aphrodisiac," Sesshoumaru replied with a smirk and nuzzled her neck gently.

"You're no fun!" Rin exclaimed in response, tilting her head slightly to him greater access to her neck as she continued to peruse the menu.

"That's not entirely true."

Kouga stared at the pair in disbelief while Ayame smiled happily at the display of intimacy, completely unaware of the fact that the pair had only met once before. To her eye, Sesshoumaru and Rin simply looked like a couple very much in love and it was so endearing that her smile grew until she realised that her fiancée was staring at the couple, not saying a word.

"What is wrong with you?" Ayame demanded, turning to look at Kouga with a frown. "You act like you've never seen anyone display their affection openly before. You should be taking notes. Would it kill you to show me a bit of affection once in a while?"

"But these two…" Kouga started, eyes wide with confusion and surprise at the turn the evening was taking.

"Are obviously very much in love," Ayame countered, a smile coming to her lips as she looked at the pair. "Don't gape at them like they're creatures in a zoo."

"They only met last week!"

"Really? Oh, the wonders of love."

While Kouga desperately tried to convince his fiancée that their dinner companions had only met a week before, Rin and Sesshoumaru watched the scene with vague amusement. When she had suggested that he follow her lead, Rin hadn't had a plan, but it seemed that her improvisation had the desired effect and would hopefully lead the to the pair of them leaving soon enough. She glanced up at Sesshoumaru and found a smirk curling his lips. He seemed so relaxed in his current position with his arm around her and chin on her shoulder that Rin was amazed. She was just musing about how nice it felt to be held by him when a voice cut through her thoughts.

"So Rin, what do you do for a living?" Ayame asked with a smile.

"Oh, I'm a model," Rin replied with a slight blush.

"Really? That's amazing, I've never met a model before. What do you model?"

"Uh… mainly lingerie."

"Oh? I bet you have many nice clothes at home then. Did you find anything in particular that you liked, Sesshoumaru?"

Kouga gaped at Ayame for blatantly asking about what the pair did in their spare time, although he was fairly sure that this was just an act the pair had decided to put on. Regardless of whether it was an act or not, it wasn't appropriate for Ayame to ask such questions. Turning his attention to his friend who had yet to answer, Kouga was slightly taken aback by the thoughtful look on his face as he looked down at the woman beside him.

"I don't think I'm able to choose just one thing in particular," Sesshoumaru murmured, smirking as Rin blushed at his words. "Although there is a little black ensemble that sets the imagination running wild."

"You like the black one?" Rin asked, taking his hint and rejoining the conversation. She turned her gaze from Sesshoumaru to Ayame and plastered a broad smile on her face. "It's actually a very nice one, he has good taste."

"What does it look like?" Ayame asked curiously, wondering what this outfit that had caught the stoic Sesshoumaru's attention could be.

"Oh it's so pretty!" Rin exclaimed with a grin. "It's a short black slip made entirely of lace."

While the two women continued to converse about lingerie, Kouga stared across the table at Sesshoumaru who had a strange expression on his face. The stoic man sat silently beside the dark haired woman and looked at her with a contemplative expression that suggested he was thinking about what she had been describing. Kouga frowned and began to wonder if maybe his theory about this being an act was wrong. Surely they had to be a couple if Sesshoumaru knew the contents of Rin's underwear drawer?

"Please excuse me," Rin requested politely. "I'm going to 'powder my nose.'"

Ayame smiled and nodded before turning and pulling Kouga into a conversation that swiftly turned into a quiet argument. Sesshoumaru slid out of his seat to allow Rin to pass and Kouga watched the pair carefully even though he was pretending to pay attention to Ayame. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw Rin lean up to whisper something into Sesshoumaru's ear and Kouga instantly knew that the pair were planning something when Sesshoumaru smirked and nodded before resuming his seat.

"You and Rin seem to be very happy," Ayame said with a smile.

"We are very happy," Sesshoumaru agreed with a nod.

"That's good, it's about time you found a good woman and settled down," she replied, ignoring Kouga's shocked look. "I hope you two will be very happy."

"Thank you," Sesshoumaru murmured and glanced at the clock on the wall behind his companions, noting that Rin had been gone a couple of minutes. "Please excuse me for a moment."

Kouga's eyes followed his friend as he rose to his feet and left the table, heading towards the back of the restaurant. He sighed to himself when he saw Sesshoumaru walk into the bathroom and wondered what it was about the pair that had him on edge. As he was about to turn his attention back to the woman at his side, Kouga noticed that the various male customers who were not at their table were heading towards the other side of the restaurant and he turned in his seat to see where they were headed. His eyes widened considerably when he saw a short queue of men waiting to use the bathroom and instantly returned his gaze to the other side of the room where Sesshoumaru had gone. There was no queue outside this one, but Kouga could just make out the symbol that announced that those bathrooms were for women.

"You took your time," Rin said with a grin as she saw Sesshoumaru step into the bathroom. "I'd have lost interest by now if I was waiting for you for other reasons."

"I was drawn into conversation," Sesshoumaru replied with a shrug as he eyed Rin who sat casually on the counter beside a wash basin. "What do we do now?"

"Deceive them," came the reply accompanied with a devious smile. "We stay in here for a short while, I'll leave first and then you come back. We make a show of how we can't keep our hands off each other and then suggest it's best to go home."

"You have it all planned then?"

"Pretty much!"

"How long do we stay in here?"

"Only a few minutes longer," Rin replied.

Amber eyes widened as Rin slid off the counter and approached him, unsure of what she intended to do, he merely waited and stood stock-still. Rin stopped in front of him and loosened his tie just a bit more until it looked crooked which made Sesshoumaru instantly want to straighten it as he briefly glanced at his reflection in the mirror above the wash basin, but fought the temptation as he supposed it was all part of Rin's plan. An eyebrow rose as her slim fingers started to unbutton the top buttons of his shirt and she merely grinned in response.

"It has to look believable, doesn't it?" she asked mischievously.

"That is true," Sesshoumaru replied with a smirk.

Rin said nothing more but surprised the stoic man when she leaned forward and pressed a kiss against his neck, although if he was to be totally honest, it was more against the collar of his shirt than his skin, but nonetheless, a dark red lipstick mark stained both his skin and his crisp white shirt when she pulled away. Sesshoumaru found that he was slightly disappointed when she stepped back and looked at her reflection in the mirror. He watched curiously as she ran her fingers through her hair, giving it a tousled look, and then undoing the top few buttons on her blouse. He closed his eyes briefly, wondering how she could feel comfortable walking out into the restaurant with a rather large amount of cleavage on display. Part of him wanted nothing more than to ogle her as he was sure most other men would do while the other part of him wanted to wrap his jacket around her and hide her from everyone else's eyes.

"I think we're ready," she said with a smile as she turned to look at him. "I'll go out first."

Sesshoumaru nodded and leaned against the counter Rin had been sitting on earlier and watched as she left the room with a devious smile on her face. Shaking his head, he couldn't believe that he had been drawn into this little trick, but he had to admit that Rin did make life more interesting. Sighing to himself, he pushed himself off the counter when a couple of minutes had passed and made his way out the door, ignoring the knowing smirks the nearby members of staff shot in his direction. When the table came into view, he had to admit that Rin certainly looked incredible. Her now tousled hair made her like very much like a child who had just come home from playing outside but the cleavage on display reminded him that she was far from a child and was very much a woman.

"You took your time," she said again as he sat down beside her.

"My apologies," Sesshoumaru replied gruffly, his arm slipping around her shoulders again as she leaned against him.

"Have you decided what you're going to have?" Rin asked the other couple with a smile. "There's so much to choose from!"

"The list is quite long," Ayame agreed, a knowing smile on her face and laughter in her eyes.

While the trio tried to decide what to eat, Kouga could barely believe his eyes. His friend had just disappeared into the women's bathroom and then reappeared a short while later with lipstick marks on his neck and his clothes rumpled. The signs were unmistakable, these two were obviously a couple. A small smirk tugged his lips as he realised that he needn't have invited them to dinner tonight if they were already a couple.

"I still think we should have oysters," Rin murmured, tapping her finger under the name of the oyster dish.

"If you wish, although I still think it's unnecessary," Sesshoumaru replied, running his free hand up her side and across her stomach before it disappeared from view.

"Don't you even want to try it?" Rin asked, leaning her head back against his arm and pressing a gentle kiss against his neck before looking down with a slight frown. "Actually, I've lost my appetite."

Sesshoumaru smirked and nuzzled her neck, his arm pulling her closer. "I'm sure we could find away to bring it back," he murmured huskily into her ear.

"Perhaps we should excuse ourselves for tonight?" Rin suggested with a breathless giggle as she turned her gaze back to the couple sitting opposite them.

"We can dine another time," Ayame said with a happy smile and then winked slyly at Rin. "I hope you regain your appetite."

Bidding the other couple goodbye, Rin and Sesshoumaru got to their feet and made their way towards the exit. Rin linked her hand with Sesshoumaru's and pulled him towards the door with a cheerful smile and he responded by merely pulling her back towards him and wrapping an arm around her waist as they made sure to play up to the role of a couple for the pair they had left at the table. When they stepped out the door and were out of sight, Rin heaved a huge sigh and sagged against Sesshoumaru as though she was worn out.

"It's all very fun to pretend, but it's awfully tiring!" she exclaimed.

"Indeed," Sesshoumaru replied quietly, turning to look at her seriously. "Have you really lost your appetite?"

"I wasn't hungry to begin with," Rin said with a grin.

"Do you have a way home?"

"My car's parked nearby so I'll be fine."

"Very well. Good night then."

Nodding once to the woman who stood beside him, Sesshoumaru dropped his arm from her waist and stepped away, preparing to leave. Before he could take one step, he felt a tug on his sleeve that made him turn around. His eyes widened as Rin leaned towards him and pressed her lips against his cheek before moving away and smiling at him.

"Thank you for going along with me tonight," she said quietly before turning and walking away into the dimly lit car park.


	3. Chapter 3

"_**Chance is perhaps the pseudonym of God when he does not wish to sign his work."**_

… **Anatole France … **

**Chapter III**

The days flew by quickly just as they had done before and Sesshoumaru found himself occasionally thinking back to the evening he and Rin had spent deceiving Kouga and Ayame. Truthfully, he was not overly pleased by the idea of having deceived one of his closest friends, but he had not been overly pleased about his plans being made for him so he supposed that it didn't really matter all that much as Kouga would no doubt forget Rin even existed in a few months time or perhaps sooner. Overall, though, Sesshoumaru was really rather pleased that he had managed to keep thoughts of Rin from plaguing his mind and was also quite proud of the fact that he was not wishing to see her again like a lovesick puppy. He knew that chances of seeing her again were slim to none and he held no hopes of seeing her, so he decided not to think about her either.

However, his brilliant display of self-control was disrupted one afternoon when he had once again found himself sitting in the usual vehicle as it sped through the streets. Sighing to himself, he wondered what would await him this time. Last time he had been confronted by a group of scantily clad women and careless men and had then found himself visited by one of those women a week later, but he held no hopes that this would be a similar situation. As was the norm, he and a group of his colleagues made their way through the burning building in search of anyone trapped only to return alone. They had fortunately arrived before the blaze could get out of control and Sesshoumaru found himself sighing in relief as the flames were quickly put out. Looking around, he saw Kouga standing nearby with a ferocious frown on his face.

"Something wrong?" Sesshoumaru asked, approaching his friend and leaning against the vehicle behind him.

"You remember the day you met Rin?" Kouga asked, his voice betraying his anger.  
"What about it?"

"It's the same damn people!" he exclaimed, pointing towards a group of people who seemed to be arguing.

Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrows at this information and turned to look in the direction Kouga was pointing to. At the centre of the group was a man that Sesshoumaru remembered as being the careless photographer from the day he met Rin and he immediately looked around in search of the woman herself. Kouga walked towards the group with his friend in tow and immediately started to berate the man's carelessness while Sesshoumaru carefully looked around. His gaze landed on two figures sitting nearby and he recognised one of them as being his colleague but the other was a woman whose face was hidden by a curtain of dark hair. Assuming that Rin was not present, Sesshoumaru turned his attention back to the conversation or rather, argument, that Kouga was having with the photographer.

"How can you be so careless?" Kouga demanded angrily.

"I am not careless," the man replied sullenly. "I take great pride I my work."

"You also seem to enjoy setting fire to buildings! Are you a pyromaniac or something?"

"I find that offensive."

"I find it annoying having to come back to another fire caused by you!"

"Don't come then. It doesn't matter to me if the building burns."

"You don't care about anything, do you?" Kouga muttered, rubbing his eyes irritably.

Before the man could reply to Kouga's words, a loud slap echoed across the area and caused everyone to pause what they were doing in shock. Kouga stared in amazement at the woman who had suddenly appeared in front of them and slapped the photographer and Sesshoumaru's eyes widened at the woman's violent behaviour.

"You're not fit to be a photographer," the woman said quietly, her voice trembling with anger. "How can you call yourself a photographer when you don't care about the location of your shots or about the welfare of the models you work with?!"

"I do…"

"No you do not! Your carelessness caused me to get hurt and you've probably terrified the other girls!"

"Rin?" Kouga asked, eyes widening as he recognised the woman's voice.

The woman turned around at the sound of her name and stared at the two friends with an expression of surprise and confusion. Recognising them both, her shoulders seemed to droop as she sighed with relief and she launched herself towards Sesshoumaru, dropping the blanket that had been wrapped around her shoulders in the process. Her sudden movement caught Sesshoumaru by surprise and for a moment, he stood still until he slowly wrapped his arms around the shaking body of the woman pressed against him. Kouga frowned as he thought back to the conversation they had just heard.

"Someone was injured?" he asked, his voice dangerously low.

"Yes, sir!" the man who Sesshoumaru had seen before spoke up, lifting the first aid kit in his hand up as proof. "It was only a minor burn."

"It is an injury nonetheless," Kouga said seriously before turning to the photographer who now looked uneasy. "I think I shall have to make a complaint to the company you work for."

"I'll be fired if you did!" the photographer exclaimed, fear in his voice.

Kouga didn't get a chance to reply as the women who stood nearby all began shouting at the man all at once. Smirking slightly, he knew that there would be no chance that these women would be working with this man again. Seeing that there was nothing else that needed to be done, Kouga turned to his friend who had a bemused expression on his face. Rin was sobbing into his shoulder and Sesshoumaru looked as though he had no idea what to do. Shaking his head at his friend's obvious discomfort, Kouga leaned down and picked up the blanket that Rin had dropped and draped it over her shoulders again. There was a brief pause and the sobs subsided as Rin leaned away from Sesshoumaru slightly to find Kouga standing nearby with a concerned look on his face. She smiled tearfully at him before burying her face once again in Sesshoumaru's shoulder.

"Perhaps you should find somewhere a little more private," Kouga suggested and gestured towards a small park on the other side of the road before attempting to engage the photographer in conversation again.

Still rooted to the spot, Sesshoumaru watched his friend disappear without giving him so much as a hint as to what he was supposed to do to comfort the weeping woman. Frowning slightly, he stepped back and secured the blanket around Rin's shoulders before picking her up and heading across the road. Spotting a bench in a relatively secluded part of the small park, he sat down on it and placed Rin beside him, still at a loss for what he was supposed to do. A flash of white caught his eye and he looked down at one of her arms to find it bandaged from the wrist to the elbow and he remembered hearing her say she had been injured.

"Rin," he said quietly.

"Mm?"

"Are you alright?"

After a moment of silence, Rin looked up with tearful eyes and nodded slowly. Sesshoumaru sighed to himself, it was obvious to anyone that she was not fine, but he decided not to question her. Instead, he looked down at her bandaged arm with a frown.

"Is it serious?" he asked, gesturing to it.

"N-No," Rin replied in a shaky voice. "It's not."

"Good."

"S-Sesshoumaru?"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry for crying all over you."

A slight smile tugged his lips before it vanished and he simply wrapped his arms around her. He had little experience comforting women and he had no idea what he was supposed to do, but somehow, he knew that she would calm down in time if he held her and that was something he would not object to. The last time he had held her in the restaurant had been a completely different situation but it had still felt right to have her in his arms and now was no different. Eventually, Rin calmed down just as he predicted and sighed softly as she leaned back to wipe her eyes.

"Can you get home?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking back towards the building in hopes of seeing her car, not that he knew what it looked like.

"No, I took the bus today and my clothes were in the building."

At the mention of her clothes, Sesshoumaru looked down at her and realised that once again, she was not wearing normal clothes. Instead of the slip she had been wearing the last time, she now wore a pair of shorts and a matching sleeveless shirt. He sighed in relief that she was wearing something decent this time and nothing as revealing as last time.

"What am I going to do?" Rin murmured to herself, biting her lip.

"I'll take you home," Sesshoumaru said as he rose to his feet, pulling Rin up beside him.

"Thank you."

* * *

When everything was in order, Rin found herself standing beside Sesshoumaru, very conscious of the eyes of all the other men on her and she couldn't help but blush. Sesshoumaru looked down at her curiously when she pressed herself closer again him and seemed to understand as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, shielding her from view. Kouga appeared moments later and gestured for everyone to get into the vehicle before turning to Rin and Sesshoumaru.

"Your injury wasn't too serious, was it?" he asked seriously.

"N-No, it's not."

"Good. I understand you're coming back to the station with us?"

"If it's no trouble."

"We've never done this before, but it's no trouble at all. Do you want to sit in the front with me or in the back with Sesh?"

"I-In the back," Rin murmured, tightening her grip on Sesshoumaru's arm as she spoke.

The journey back to the station was slightly awkward but Rin was comforted by Sesshoumaru's presence beside her. The back of the vehicle was cramped and she found herself sitting on Sesshoumaru's knee, the arm around her waist holding her close as she wrapped her own arms around his neck. There was the usual banter among the men during the journey and Rin even managed to smile at a few of the things she heard, but was very glad when they finally reached their destination. Sesshoumaru guided her up the stairs to the staff room where he made her some coffee and promised to return soon. While she sat alone, Rin looked around the place and realised that it was a lot nicer than she would have thought, but she felt very self-conscious knowing that she was one of the few women in the vicinity and she was wearing a lot less clothes than the others were. She could only hope that Sesshoumaru would return before anyone else did.

Sesshoumaru did return but not before other men and he was surprised to find Rin sitting exactly where he had left her, but with a slightly awkward look on her face as she clutched the blanket around her shoulders closer. He would have thought that she would have moved, but he supposed she wouldn't really have anywhere else to go. Catching her attention, he beckoned her over and led her into the back room where the showers were located. Handing her a towel and one of his shirts, he was about to leave when her hand stopped him.

"What if someone comes in?" she asked, looking around her uncertainly.

"They won't. I will wait outside to ensure no one comes in."

A quarter of an hour later, Rin emerged from the shower and stepped into the locker room where she found Sesshoumaru sitting beside his own locker with a book in hand. He looked up at her when he heard her come into the room and mused that while his shirt was longer than what she had been wearing before, it was still not long enough to hide her long smooth legs. Frowning slightly, he wondered if there was anything to hide her from the lecherous gazes of the men he worked with, but quickly realised that there was nothing. Rin sat down beside him and sighed softly, gazing up at the ceiling.

"Thank you for today," she said softly, her head dropping to rest against his shoulder.

Sesshoumaru said nothing in reply but when he looked down at the woman beside him, he found her asleep. He resisted the ruge to smile. Evidently the day had been too tiring for her. Although he knew that the end of the day was drawing near, he decided to let her sleep a bit longer. She had been through a lot today and it was hardly surprising that she was tired. He had always bbeenw ary of women, but now he discovered that he shouldn't really have been wary at all. Although it was possible that it was simply this woman who made him feel comfortable since he still wan't entirely comfortable in the company of other women. Glancing down at Rin from the corner of his eye, he realised that she looked very innocent when she was asleep but he knew that a teasing smile would pull those lips and mischief would dance in her eyes soon after she woke up. He smirked to himself, Rin was an interesting woman.

* * *

Sesshoumaru didn't hear from Rin again for nearly a week after he had taken her home, but that wasn't really surprising since he didn't have her contact details and she didn't have his either. He sighed to himself as he looked around and spotted Ayame and Kouga standing nearby. Even from this distance he could tell that they were bickering already. He was very tempted to turn around an walk away, but when Ayame beckoned him over, he knew that he had lost his chance. Early that morning, he had received a call from Ayame asking if he had seen Rin lately. When he had said that he hadn't she had immediately requested that he meet her and Kouga that day. He had no idea why she had made such a strange request, but now that he was at the venue she had chosen, he began to see why. Ayame had clearly dragged him and Kouga along to a fashion show, although her reasons for that were still unclear.

"I'm so glad you came!" Ayame said happily when Sesshoumaru stopped beside her. She smiled and then gestured at Kouga with her thumb. "I thought you might attempt to run away like this one did earlier."  
"You are here for the fashion show?" Sesshoumaru deadpanned, glancing at Kouga and noticing that he looked unhappy.  
"Yes! I thought we mgiht see Rin, wouldn't that be fun?"  
"Fun, indeed," Kouga huffed and crossed his arms.  
"Let's find seats," Ayame suggested, ignoring her fiancée's irritation and heading into the room.  
"Sorry she dragged you into this as well, Sesh," Kouga apologised to his friend when Ayame was out of earshot.  
"Don't worry. I had no plans."

After much searching, Ayame miraculously managed to get them seats in the front row but how she had managed it was a mystery to her two male companions. She had merely smiled and said nothing when they had asked her. Eventually, the lights dimmed and the ones on the stage were the only ones that lit the room. Sesshoumaru sighed as he prepared himself for a couple of hours of boredom. He doubted Rin would be there today. She modelled for magazines and he wondered if that meant she did this type of modelling as well. Pushing the thoughts aside, he tried very hard to ignore the growing unease that settled over him when he thought about her modelling lingerie for such a large crowd, most of which were male for a reason he couldn't understand. Were they genuinely interested in fashion or were they just looking for an excuse to drool over pretty women without receiving a lecture from their girlfriends? Sesshoumaru couldn't tell, but soon forgot about it as the show started.

Boredom set in as Sesshoumaru watched yet another group of women on the stage. He could honestly say that he had no interest at all in fashion and not even the swimsuit section had been particularly interesting. Kouga had been capitvated by it, but after receiving a blow to the head from Ayame, he decided it best to simply go to sleep in his chair. Shaking his head at his friend, Sesshoumaru turned his attention back to the stage where he noticed the lingerie models had begun to appear. His attention was caught by Kouga suddenly waking up in his seat and looking around with wide eyes. Ayame had nudged her fiancée in the side rather violently when she realised he was asleep, but her jaw dropped when she turned her eyes back to the stage.

"It's Rin!" she exclaimed, staring at the stage in disbelief.

Almost immediately, both Kouga and Sesshoumaru turned their attention back to the stage. Both of them were well aware of the fact that she had a rather tempting figure since she had been scantily clad both times they had seen her at the scene of a fire. Sure enough, the woman on the stage was Rin, but she didn't look like the Rin the trio had spent the evening with only a couple of weeks ago. Her hair was ruffled and she wore more makeup than usual, but it was her attire that caught their attention. The watched in amazement and awe as she confidently made her way down that catwalk in a satin chemise that was barely long enough to cover her underwear. Ayame squealed in delight and immediately flipped through the brochure she had picked up to find out the details about what Rin was wearing. Kouga grinned as he took his eyes off Rin to glance at his friend who had a slightly bemused expression on his face.

"You're a lucky man, Sesh," Kouga said, but his grin faded slightly as he looked back up at the staget to Rin. "Although I'm not sure I'd like Ayame doing something like that."  
"I don't have the figure for modelling," Ayame said with a smile. "But it's strange seeing Rin like that."

Sesshoumaru frowned slightly as he watched Rin reappear dressed in something else. He hadn't thought that he particualrly felt anything towards the woman, but as he watched her, he realised that perhaps he did feel something. He could hear the men around him murmuring appreciative comments about her and while he agreed that she did look amazing, he didn't like the fact that other men were voicing his thoughts. He struggled to resist the urge to go up to her and and cover her with his jacket, just to shield to her from the hungry eyes of the men who sat in the audience.

Rin sighed to herself as she reappeared on the stage. She enjoyed her work, but she had been so busy lately that she had little time to relax. Pasting a smile to her face, she made her way across the stage and as she approached the left side of the stage, her gaze fell on the front row and she almost stumbled in shock. Sitting in the front row was Ayame, Kouga and Sesshoumaru. Her false smile became genuine as she realised that Ayame and Kouga were bickering about something but she had to fight a blush that threatened to creep over her face as she noticed that Sesshoumaru was looking at her intently. There was a slight frown on his face and Rin wondered what he was thinking. She broke eye contact after a short while and turned to leave the stage.

While Rin was finishing the show, Sesshoumaru was struggling to understand his feelings. He had never met a woman who could throw him into such turmoil. The grip he kept on his emotions seemed to make no difference when he was in her presence. She seemed to be able to make him catch his breath with a single glance and make his heart race with a smile. It made no sense to him. This had never happened before. He couldn't understand why he was suddenly feeling so annoyed that other men had seen the slender and curvacious body that she had shown him that first day they had met, although he was somewhat proud of the fact that he had seen more than what the men today had seen. After all, the day they had met, Rin had been wearing an almost transparent lace slip that had left very little to the imagination. He couldn't understand why he wanted nothing more than to hold her close and make sure no other man laid his eyes on her. Frowning to himself, he wondered if he had always been possessive, but realised that he was being foolish. Rin had nothing to do with. She was simply a woman he knew and a woman whose company he enjoyed. Sighing to himself, he wondered if that would ever change.


	4. Chapter 4

"_**An open mind leaves a chance for someone to drop a worthwhile thought in it."**_

… **Anon … **

**Chapter IV**

After seeing the fashion show with Kouga and Ayame, Sesshoumaru found himself at a loss. He had never shown a great deal of interest in women and had shown even less interest in having any sort of relationships with them. Ayame was an exception since she had taken it upon herself to make him accept her and he had grudgingly accepted her into his life. Eventually, he came to enjoy her company as much as he enjoyed Kouga's, although he never admitted that to them. However, Rin had suddenly thrown him into a state of confusion. When he had met her the first time, he had thought he would not meet her again and had shown her the courtesy that he didn't show many women. He had thought her polite when she had appeared at the station to return his jacket, but the way he felt now was something new. The emotions he felt when he had watched her at the fashion show and when the pair of them had been at dinner with Ayame and Kouga were alien to him. The very idea of becoming attached to a woman seemed strange and he couldn't quite get his head around the idea. After much thought, Sesshoumaru eventually had to admit to himself that there was something about Rin that always caught his attention and he suspected that whatever that was, it would catch his attention every time he saw her. He consoled himself with the knowledge that he would probably not see her again and would therefore not have to deal with these strange emotions for much longer.

While Sesshoumaru struggled with the sudden influx of alien emotions in his life, Kouga watched his friend from afar with mild concern. Sesshoumaru was not one to openly show his emotions or to discuss them, but it was painfully obvious to Kouga that his friend was struggling with something. He had become a social recluse and no longer accompanied his friends when they went out and it was honestly quite worrying. Eventually, after nearly two weeks of watching his friend suffer, Kouga couldn't take it any longer. Ayame had also noticed the change in the stoic man and had pressured her fiancée to say something to his friend.

"You going to suffer in silence, Sesh?" Kouga asked casually late one afternoon as they left the station.

"I'm sorry?" Sesshoumaru asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at his friend.

"You heard me."

"I did, I'm asking what you meant."

"What do you think I meant?"

"If I knew that, I wouldn't be asking, would I?"

"I guess that's the answer to my question then," Kouga said with a sigh as he pushed his hands into his pockets.

Sesshoumaru looked at his friend quizzically but said nothing. Kouga was being unusually cryptic and part of him suspected that he didn't want to know what his friend was asking about. Sesshoumaru knew that Kouga wanted him to talk about something, but he wasn't going to talk to anyone about anything. He solved his problems himself. As they came to a stop beside their cars, Kouga leaned against his car and looked at his friend speculatively as Sesshoumaru pulled a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket. There was an air of patience surrounding Kouga that irked Sesshoumaru. It was as if the dark haired man was dealing with a child that had misbehaved and he was waiting for the child to admit that it had indeed behaved badly. Sighing to himself, Sesshoumaru realised that his friend probably wasn't going to let this drop. Even if he didn't reply today, no doubt Kouga would find a way to bring the topic up again tomorrow and the day after that and probably every day until Sesshoumaru said something. Opening the car door and dropping heavily into the seat, Sesshoumaru exhaled a cloud of smoke and looked seriously at his friend.

"I see there is no way to get you to drop this subject, but if we are going to discuss this, it will not be here," Sesshoumaru deadpanned.

"You're willing to talk then?" Kouga asked with mild surprise.

"Not here."

"The bar then."

"It's not much better, but I suppose it's better than your place and having Ayame listening to everything."

"You know she'd probably be able to help," Kouga suggested, looking thoughtful as he thought about his fiancée.

"I don't care. It's the bar or you get no answers."

* * *

A short while later, Sesshoumaru and Kouga sat at a small table at the back of the bar they visited from time to time. A waitress placed two drinks on the table in front of them and Sesshoumaru looked down into his glass thoughtfully as he wondered what his friend wanted to know. Although he had a fairly good idea what it was that Kouga wanted to know, he wasn't going to start the conversation off. Kouga placed his glass down on the table with a soft click and frowned at his friend.

"What's wrong with you, Sesh?" Kouga asked in an unusually serious voice. "It's not like you not to focus on your work."

"I can concentrate just fine."

"You know that's a lie, Sesh. What's this about? Did you and Rin have a fight or something?"

Sesshoumaru froze in his seat at the mention of her name and Kouga suppressed a grin. For nearly two weeks, Sesshoumaru had struggled to come to terms with what he felt for the woman and was still no closer to reaching a decision. Even though he still wasn't sure how he felt towards her, he had thought that he could at least manage to keep his poker face in place when her name was mentioned, but it seemed that this was not the case. Sighing to himself, he lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply before looking at his friend through a cloud of smoke. It was time to come clean.

"About her," Sesshoumaru started slowly. "There's something you should know."

"Oh?" Kouga asked with a barely suppressed smile. "You going to tell me you're actually married to her or something? That wouldn't really surprise me a great deal since you didn't even tell me you had a girlfriend."

"We were never a couple."

Whatever it was that Kouga had been expecting to hear, it was obvious form his reaction that that was definitely not it. Sesshoumaru smirked slightly as he looked at his friend's expression of confusion and shock. The pair said nothing for a few minutes and the only sound that surrounded them were the voices of the people around them and the soft music. Eventually Kouga seemed to come to his senses and he cleared his throat before turning back to look at his friend.

"That joke is in very bad taste, Sesh," he said seriously.

"I am not joking."

"What about that night at the restaurant?"

"An act so that we could go home."

"Together?" Kouga asked, desperately clinging to the idea that Sesshoumaru and Rin had been a couple.

"Separately."

"But when Ayame asked about the lingerie…"

"A stab in the dark. I have no idea what kind of underwear Rin has."

Kouga sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes as he tried to digest the information. It was disappointing to find out that it had been a charade. The pair would have made a good couple and even though it was only a charade, it was obvious that Rin's playful nature had had some sort of an impact on Sesshoumaru.

"Putting that aside for the moment, what's bothering you?" Kouga asked, hoping that his next question wouldn't shock him as much as the first had.

Sesshoumaru frowned and looked into his glass. "Just confusion."

"Confusion over what?"

"Rin."

"If you're not a couple, what's there to be confused about?" Kouga queried, feeling his own confusion setting in.

"I don't know what to think about her," Sesshoumaru admitted, frowning in frustration.

The pair sat in silence as they wallowed in their own thoughts. Kouga wondered how to interpret his friend's words while Sesshoumaru wondered if admitting such a thing to Kouga was a good idea. He trusted the man and had been friends with him for many, many years, but he suspected he would have to endure years of teasing about this incident.

"You don't know what to think about her in what sense?" Kouga asked after a while. Seeing his friend's confusion, he sighed. "What I mean is, are you not sure what to think about her in terms of her being a friend or something more?"

"I had not considered her as a friend, so I suppose the latter," Sesshoumaru said slowly, frowning as he spoke.

"What's confusing you? You either like her or you don't."

"You forget that I am not like you," Sesshoumaru muttered. "My experience with women is limited."

Kouga nodded in understanding. "That is true, I didn't think of that. So what's confusing you?"

"I don't know how to act around her."

"Can't you just relax and act the same way you act around me and Ayame around her?"  
"If I did that, I would become a very violent man."

Kouga stared at his friend for a moment before erupting into laughter. Sesshoumaru frowned slightly. He had not been expecting this reaction to his words and he wasn't entirely sure why his situation was amusing. Just as Sesshoumaru was about to comment on his behaviour, Kouga stopped laughing and tried to be serious.

"You wouldn't be violent, Sesh," Kouga said with a smirk. "I know what you mean, but I know you wouldn't be violent."

"You know?"

"Of course I do. When I first started going out with Ayame, I was so protective of her that I was ready to rip any guy's head off if he so much as looked at her, but that soon passed when I realised that she wasn't looking at any other guys."

"You were going out with her," Sesshoumaru stated. "I am just an acquaintance. I have no reason to feel the way I do."

"It just means that you're finally showing an interest in women," Kouga said with a shrug. "You know there's another fashion show in town this weekend? You should go, you might see her again."

"What am I supposed to do if I do see her again? The situation will not be any different."

"You might be surprised. Ayame and I will come with you so you're not on your own. If you see Rin and get talking, we'll leave and then you can take it from there. Sound like a good idea?"

"I don't think I have much choice in this, do I?"

"Nope!"

* * *

Rin sighed as she stepped through the door of the bar she had spotted on her way home. Her nose wrinkled as she inhaled the smoke that hung in the air and she glanced around in search of an empty table. Seeing none, she made her way over to the bar and dropped down into an empty seat as far away from the other people as possible. The man behind the bar grinned at her as she ordered her drink and she resisted the urge to scowl at him, choosing instead to look around her. This was definitely not the type of place she would visit again, but for tonight, it would be alright since she only wanted one drink.

Work had been tiring for her lately. The burn she had gotten from the last fire the photographer had caused had left no scar, but while it was healing, she had been unable to work as she normally did. Her employers had said that nobody wants to look at a model in lingerie with a bandage on her arm and while she supposed this was true, the work she had been given instead was hardly interesting for her. Sighing softly, she reached for her glass and sipped the contents cautiously as she ignored yet another suggestive look that the man behind the bar sent her way. She had just sent her glass down on the counter when she jumped in surprise as a hand landed on her shoulder. With a scathing comment on the tip of her tongue, she turned to look at the owner of the hand and felt her eyes widen as she looked up into Kouga's bright blue eyes.

"Rin! What're you doing in a place like this?" Kouga asked with a grin as he placed two empty glasses down on the counter beside him.

"I just needed a drink," Rin said with a vague smile as she gestured to her glass. "What're you doing here?"

"Same reason really."

Rin nodded and picked up her glass again while Kouga looked at her speculatively for a moment before grinning. He ordered another drink and waited patiently until it arrived before speaking again. Rin seemed content with the silence as she slowly sipped her drink.

"I've really got to go. I promised Ayame I wouldn't be late tonight," Kouga said quietly before gesturing over his shoulder to a table at the back of the room. "Do you mind taking this back to Sesh while I call Ayame?"

"Sure," Rin replied, looking at Kouga with a slight frown before picking up the glass he had pushed towards her.

Making a show of going outside to call Ayame, Kouga hovered in the doorway, watching as Rin slowly and carefully made her way to the back of the room. He grinned to himself as he saw Sesshoumaru's eyes widen as Rin appeared beside him. With a final glance at the pair, Kouga slipped out the door and into the night. He would not be going back, but he hoped that this chance meeting would be just what Sesshoumaru needed to wipe away his doubts.

Sesshoumaru stared at the woman who appeared beside him with a mixture of confusion and surprise. He had not expected to meet her here of all places and he found himself displeased by the idea of her having come to such a place alone. Pushing aside the thoughts of her having come alone, he watched as she set a glass down in front of him with a vague smile before sitting down in the seat Kouga had vacated only moments ago. Thinking of his friend, Sesshoumaru immediately looked around the room for any signs of him and he frowned when he found none. He sighed to himself when he realised that Kouga must have set this up somehow.

"It looks like we've been abandoned," Rin said quietly, looking around the room with a critical eye.

"It seems so," Sesshoumaru agreed, turning his attention to Rin and noticing with some amusement that she seemed to be very out of place.

"I stick out like sore thumb, don't I?" she asked.

"You are different from the other women who come here," Sesshoumaru said cautiously.

"I do stand out then."

"In a good way."

Looking across the table to the silver haired man, Rin smiled slightly. She had known from the very first time she met him that he was not a very social person and she couldn't help but blush slightly as she replayed him compliment over in her mind. She couldn't imagine that very many people received compliments from him and that made her smile to herself. The pair sat in silence for a while and Rin found herself reliving the last time she had seen him when he had held her in his arms. She wished that he would do so again, but she sighed sadly to herself as she realised that he was probably only looking after her in such a way because he felt obligated to do so.

The pair spoke little that evening despite the fact that they both drank considerably more than they had originally intended to. Sesshoumaru could hold his liquor well, but he soon realised that Rin could not. He was amused by her attempts at conversation despite the fact that her words were slurred and what she said made little sense, but he found the way she still tried to draw him into conversation quite endearing. It was late in the evening when Sesshoumaru finally decided that she had had enough to drink. He had long since stopped drinking, but Rin didn't seem to have noticed that he hadn't drunk anything in over two hours.

Fortunately, Rin seemed to be a very cheerful drunk which made Sesshoumaru feel more at ease as he helped her out of her chair and guided her through the crowds of people to the door. She wobbled dangerously in her high-heeled shoes, but laughed merrily as she tripped out the door and found herself leaning against a nearby wall for support. Shaking his head at her antics, Sesshoumaru led her towards his car and stopped as they approached it, remembering that she too had a car.

"Did you drive here?" he asked, watching her with mild amusement as she struggled to stay upright.

"No," she said with a smile, as she finally seemed to master the art of standing upright.

"I'll take you home then."

"I don't want to go home," Rin said petulantly as she obediently sat down in the passenger seat.

"Where do you want to go then?" Sesshoumaru asked, deciding to humour her.

"Somewhere else. It's so boring being alone at home all the time."

Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru started the long drive home. He knew how to get to Rin's home and he suspected that if he didn't, she would not tell him. She had grown silent in her seat beside him and he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Her head rested against the window and she watched the scenery fly by with an almost contemplative look on her face.

"Isn't it strange that we keep bumping into each other?" she asked quietly, surprising her companion slightly with her question.

"I suppose it is," Sesshoumaru agreed.

Rin didn't reply to his comment and continued to stare out of the window. By the time Sesshoumaru reached her home, she had fallen asleep in her seat. She was sleeping so soundly and looked so content that he didn't have the heart to wake her to tell her that they had arrived at her home. He simply stared at her for a few moments as he tried to decide what to do. It would be impolite to look through her bag to find her house keys and waking her would probably not be a very good idea in case she decided that she didn't want to stay at home. Sighing to himself, Sesshoumaru realised that the only other option he had was to take her back to his own apartment. He was not overly keen on the idea, but he supposed he had no alternatives if he didn't want to wake her up.

A short while later, Sesshoumaru was negotiating his way through his front door with Rin in his arms. It was not an easy task, but he managed somehow even though he was beginning to wonder if he had made the right decision by bringing her to his apartment. Knowing that there was no going back now, he headed towards his bedroom and shouldered the door open. Carefully, he lowered Rin onto the bed and watched as she sighed and seemed to snuggle down into the thick covers of his bed. He had not made his bed that morning since he had been late to work, but he supposed that the state of the bed did not matter to a sleeping person. Placing her bag on the floor beside the bed, he sat down on the edge of the bed and reached for the straps that kept her shoes on her feet. Holding one of the shoes up, he briefly wondered how she could walk in such things before placing them beside her bag.

After a short struggle, Sesshoumaru managed to get her jacket off her as well and sat back to look at her. She was still sound asleep and had no idea that the bed she lay in was not her own. Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru got to his feet and made his way to the door. The woman confused him, but as he glanced back at her once more, he realised that she was so endearing that his confusion mattered little. He didn't know why she would act the way she did with a man she barely knew, it was as though she was entrusting her safety to him and that meant that she trusted him although he didn't know why. When he thought about he had been able to hold her in his arms again, he realised that he didn't care why she acted the way she did. She was comfortable around him and he felt the same way around her, why should he complicate matters by wondering about the details? Sighing to himself, he decided that perhaps he should take a chance and experience a proper relationship with a woman. Even if it ended badly, surely that would be better than just sitting around and wondering about what could have happened?

* * *

**AN:** Sorry for the late update, but I've been really busy this week. Anyway, if anyone knows who the author of the quote at the top of the page is, please let me know. It didn't have any name beneath it when I found it, but I really liked it so I decided to use it anyway :) Thank you to everyone for the reviews so far and I'm sorry about my spelling in the last few chapters, hopefully this chapter will be better!

xMxAx


	5. Chapter 5

"_**It is choice – not chance – that determines your destiny."**_

… **Jean Nidetch … **

**Chapter V**

The soft sound of a door closing caused Rin to stir slightly the next morning. She frowned as she rolled onto her side and sighed softly as she slowly opened her eyes. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim light in the room, but when she was able to clearly see her surroundings, she frowned again. This room was not her own and that meant that the bed she lay in was not her own either. Closing her eyes, she cast her mind back to the night before and struggled to piece together the events that had led her to where she was now. Her memory of the night before was hazy and the last thing she could clearly remember was sitting at the back of a bar with Sesshoumaru. Brown eyes snapped open as she thought of her drinking companion. Had they been together all evening? She couldn't remember and her aching head helped very little as she tried hard understand her situation.

Slowly she pushed herself upright and breathed a soft sigh of relief when she saw that she still wore all her clothes sans her shoes and jacket. Glancing around her, Rin noted that the room she occupied obviously belonged to a man. She wasn't sure how she knew that, but she did. The bed she sat in was enormous and she wondered why such a large bed was necessary. She shook her head slightly to push away the random thoughts but groaned softly as soon as she did so. Leaning forward, she buried her face in her hands and closed her eyes tightly, hoping the room wouldn't be spinning when she opened them again. The same sound that had woken her up caused her to open her eyes slightly when she heard the bedroom door open.

"You're awake?" a gruff masculine voice inquired with a hint of concern.

Sighing softly, Rin sat up straight and looked towards the direction she had heard the voice come from. Fortunately, her vision had cleared enough for her to recognise Sesshoumaru standing in the doorway. She gave him a weak smile as she realised where she was. She could only pray that she hadn't done anything embarrassing while drunk the night before.

"Yeah, I am," she said softly, her voice slightly husky from sleep.

Sesshoumaru nodded and walked into the room. As he approached the bed, Rin saw that his shirt was unbuttoned and his hair was slightly wet. He sat down on the edge of the bed and she caught the distinct fragrance of sandalwood. Evidently he had recently emerged from the shower and she wondered how long he had been awake if he was already showered and dressed – partially dressed anyway.

"I thought you might want something to drink," Sesshoumaru said quietly and handed her a cup of coffee.

"Thank you," Rin said gratefully, wrapping her fingers around the cup and inhaling the scent. After a moment, she looked sheepishly at Sesshoumaru who was still sitting on the edge of the bed. "I apologise for drinking so much last night. I hope I didn't cause any inconvenience?"

"None at all," he replied, watching as she sipped her drink. "I took you home, but you were already asleep and I thought it best to let you sleep."

Rin blushed at his words and looked down into her cup. "Thank you, that was kind of you."

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes as they each thought over the events that had led to them being in this, not entirely unpleasant, situation. Rin set aside her now empty cup and leaned back against the pillows with a sigh of contentment, closing her eyes as she snuggled down beneath the warm covers again. Smirking slightly, Sesshoumaru watched her get comfortable and wondered if it would be best to leave her to sleep a bit longer, but Rin opened her eyes and smiled happily at him.

"I don't really understand the need for such a large bed," she said softly. "But I do wish my bed was as comfortable as this one."

"A large bed takes up space in an otherwise empty room," Sesshoumaru said simply, not sure how to reply to her comment about her own bed.

"It is a bit empty," Rin agreed, looking around her. "There is nothing wrong with the way it is though."

Sesshoumaru chose to remain silent. He wasn't sure how to respond to her words and waking up to the knowledge that there was a woman in his bed was an entirely new experience for him. The rare occasions he had spent a night with a woman had not been at his own apartment, he had always made sure of that, but now he was faced with another situation he didn't know how to deal with. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rin sit up and he looked at her. Her short dark hair was very tousled and her clothes were rumpled, but he decided that he liked this Rin more than the Rin he had seen at the fashion show two weeks previously. She was beautiful when she worked, but he definitely thought she looked better as she was now. Sensing his gaze, she looked at him and smiled as she stretched her arms above her head.

"Would you like a shower?" Sesshoumaru asked, tearing his gaze away from her reluctantly.

"Yes, please," she replied with another dazzling smile.

Nodding, Sesshoumaru got to his feet and disappeared briefly before returning with a towel for her. By the time he had returned to the room, Rin was already on her feet and the bed had been made. Hiding his surprise, he led her to the bathroom and handed her the towel.

"If you want to wash your clothes before you leave, help yourself to something in my wardrobe until they're dry," he said quietly before hastily leaving the room.

Sighing to himself, Sesshoumaru made himself a fresh cup of coffee and drank deeply as he thought over his current situation. Taking a seat at the table in the kitchen, he looked out window into the clear blue sky as he lit a cigarette. He could no longer deny that he was not attracted to Rin, but he was still unsure about what to do about it. He wasn't a complete novice when it came to women, but the limited experiences he'd had didn't help him at all as he tried to decide what to do next. Rin was a stunning woman and she was as intelligent as she was beautiful, but she could do a lot better than a fire fighter like himself. Sighing again, he lit another cigarette and decided that it was probably best to see how today would go before making any other plans.

"I hope you don't mind me using this shirt," Rin's voice drifted over to him as she walked into the room. "I like these kind of shirts better than ordinary t-shirts."

Turning to look at her when she spoke, Sesshoumaru was floored by the sight of her. He recovered his composure quickly and exhaled a cloud of smoke into the air in front of him as he tried to gather his wits. There was something oddly alluring about the sight of Rin wearing one of his shirts and nothing else. He watched as she made her way over to the washing machine to put her clothes in and Sesshoumaru realised that her black underwear was clearly visible through the white fabric of the shirt. Turning his gaze away, he couldn't help but wish that he saw this sight every day.

"It's fine, don't worry about it," he said as calmly as he could before rising to his feet in an attempt to hide his growing fluster. "Do you want some breakfast?"

"I'll help you make some," Rin said with a smile as she turned to look at him.

Sesshoumaru nodded and walked into the kitchen to begin making something for them. Rin decided that it would be easier for her to simply make the coffee and looked through the cupboards for the cups and coffee. The pair worked in companionable silence until the meal was ready. Rin had already set the table and poured fresh cups of coffee by the time Sesshoumaru brought two plates of food into the small dining room next to the kitchen. With everything except the condiments on the table, Rin volunteered to fetch them after inquiring where they were. There was yet more silence for a short while as Rin disappeared to fetch the condiments and after a while, Sesshoumaru began to wonder what she was doing. Just as he was about to get up, he saw her appear in the doorway with a blush colouring her cheeks and a slightly irritated look on her face.

"I think you will have to fetch them," Rin said quietly. "I can't reach them."

A smirk crossed Sesshoumaru face and amusement lit up his eyes as he got to his feet and walked towards her. As he approached her, he realised that she was considerably shorter without her high-heeled shoes and he smirked again as he looked at the expression on her face. Evidently, her height bothered her. She looked up in surprise when she felt Sesshoumaru take her hand and lead her into the kitchen. They approached the cupboard where the condiments were located and came to a stop. Rin opened her mouth to question him, but a squeak of surprise left her lips as she found herself lifted off her feet. She blinked stupidly when she found herself sitting on the counter and she looked at Sesshoumaru who was watching her with amusement still shining in his eyes.

"I think you can reach them now," he said by way of explanation, shrugging as he spoke.

Rin grinned and nodded happily. Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to shake his head. The woman was easily pleased it seemed. Still, he thought her little display earlier was quite endearing and as he watched her reach for the condiments, he realised that he quite liked the view he was seeing now. The shirt had ridden up and exposed her slim legs and he could see it riding up even more as she reached upwards. He found himself breathless for a moment and was glad when she looked at him with a triumphant smile that suggested she had gotten everything they needed. He wrapped an arm around her waist and easily set her back on her feet again, following her back into the dining room where they continued their meal.

* * *

After the meal, the pair sat in the warm morning sunlight in the dining room. They hadn't spoken much after Sesshoumaru had helped Rin get the condiments and had been content to eat in silence, but now, when there was nothing to occupy them and keep them from talking, Rin felt that the silence was beginning to get oppressive. From the corner of her eye, she glanced across the table at Sesshoumaru and noticed that he was lighting a cigarette. She raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly as she watched him sigh as he got comfortable in his seat and slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"I didn't know you smoked," Rin said quietly, propping her chin up with her hand as she turned her attention to him.

"A lot of people don't," Sesshoumaru said with a shrug, looking across the table to her. "Most people lecture me about it so I don't tell them."

"What makes you think I won't lecture you?"

Sesshoumaru looked at her blankly for a moment as he pondered her question. He smoked in public and around Kouga and Ayame, but he tended to avoid smoking in front of other people. His family were prime examples of people he didn't smoke in front of. His step mother and sister-in-law would definitely berate him if they discovered that he was still smoking since they were under the impression that he had quit long ago. Today, he had picked up a cigarette and lit it without even considering what Rin would say. It baffled him. Normally he would have a bit of an internal struggle about whether or not he should smoke in front of someone, but today he hadn't given it a second thought. Thinking about it carefully, he supposed it was yet another clue about him being comfortable in Rin's presence. Sesshoumaru didn't think that she would have berated him about his unhealthy habit and if she did, she would probably only do so in a teasing manner.

"I'm not sure," Sesshoumaru admitted eventually.

Rin laughed. "I wouldn't lecture you about it, but I couldn't help asking. It's not my place to lecture you about your habits."

"I wish everyone thought that way."

Rin shook her head at the thought of people trying to give this stoic and obviously very independent man orders. It was an amusing thought really since it seemed that only someone very stupid would attempt such a thing. She giggled softly and attempted to wave her hand dismissively when Sesshoumaru looked at her with a questioning gaze.

"I was just thinking how silly it is for someone to try and tell you what to do," Rin said after her giggles had subsided.

A tiny smile curved Sesshoumaru's lips as he watched Rin fall into another fit of giggles over the idea. Eventually, she drew in a deep breath and got to her feet, walking into the living room and sitting down on the sofa. Sesshoumaru followed after a moment and was surprised when she gestured for him to sit beside her. Beginning to feel uncertain again, he sat down beside her but made sure there was a respectable distance between them. If Rin noticed, she didn't give any signs and gave him her dazzling smile instead.

"You should've told me to stop drinking last night," she said with a soft laugh. "I probably made a fool of myself."

"You didn't," Sesshoumaru assured her with a brief and very vague smile.

"The fact that you smiled while saying that means I did something embarrassing!" Rin declared, blushing slightly as she wondered what she had done.

"You didn't embarrass yourself. You talked a bit, but you don't need to worry."

"What did I say?"

"Something about living alone being boring."

"Oh, that's all?" she asked with a relieved smile. "It's true though, don't you think?"

"I work a lot so I spend very little time at home, but I do find something strange."

"Oh?"

"Why would someone like you live alone?"

"Someone like me?" Rin asked in confusion.

"I expected you to live with a boyfriend or just someone else. Living alone doesn't seem to suit your outgoing personality."

Rin giggled. "No. I don't have a boyfriend as you probably already guessed, but my friends live in different cities. That said, I expected you to have a gorgeous girlfriend."

"Hm. No, like I said a while ago; not many women visit the station and not many of them are there to visit me," Sesshoumaru said with a slight smirk.

Rin sighed and leaned back against the cushions on the sofa. She tilted her head to one side and smile at Sesshoumaru as he watched her lean back. Part of her was glad that there was no gorgeous girlfriend in his life, but another part of her wondered why that was. It seemed strange for a man like him to have no woman in his life. Briefly, she allowed herself to wonder what it would be like to be in a relationship with this man. He had always been kind to her and she assumed that the woman in his life would treated even better. For a moment, she let herself hope that maybe she stood a chance of being that woman, but quickly pushed that though aside when a blush coloured her cheeks.

Although she tried to hide her blush, Rin was unsuccessful and Sesshoumaru noticed it immediately. He frowned and lifted a hand to brush her cheek gently. His eyebrows rose when he realised her face was warm and instantly thought that something was wrong. It never crossed his mind that she was simply blushing. Rin's eyes widened when she suddenly found herself being pulled forward and a large hand resting against her forehead. Sesshoumaru seemed to consider something briefly before rising to his feet and pulling her up beside him. Before Rin could question him, she was swept off her feet and being taken back towards the bedroom. When the enormous bed came into view, her breath hitched in her throat as she wondered what he was thinking, but disappointment rushed over her in waves when she found herself tucked into the bed.

"What's wrong?" she asked with a frown when he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Your face is red," Sesshoumaru deadpanned. "It would not be good if you got ill."

Rin stared at him for a while, not sure she had heard his words right. She had blushed and he mistook it for a sign of illness. She smiled gently and extricated her hands from the covers to brush her hair back. Once again, he was being kind to her and she could only wish that it were more than obligation. She had been drunk the night before and imposed upon him and now he surely felt obligated to look after her. Sighing softly, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the pillow, unaware of the frown that crossed Sesshoumaru's face as she did so.

"It's kind of you to worry," Rin said with a vague smile as she looked at him. "But I'm not ill. I was just blushing."

"Blushing?" Sesshoumaru repeated, narrowing his eyes at her as he tried to decide if she was telling the truth or not.

"Yes, just blushing."

For a moment, she thought that he didn't believe her. He gave her a look that clearly said he was unsure about what to think about her words, but eventually, he nodded his acceptance. She sighed a silent sigh of relief and smiled happily at him.

"Why were you blushing?" Sesshoumaru asked, watching her carefully as he patiently waited for the response.

The question made Rin freeze and she immediately ceased all attempts to get out of bed. She didn't think that he would ask that question and now that he had, she didn't know what to say. She couldn't lie to him and her lies were usually very obvious. Sighing softly, she sat back and looked at him seriously. It was probably a good idea to tell him the truth. The worst that could happen would be for him to laugh at her and she could get over something like that. Taking a deep breath, Rin decided to be truthful.

"I was thinking about how glad I was that there was no gorgeous girlfriend," Rin admitted quietly, blushing again as she looked away from his intense amber gaze.

They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity and she began to wonder if telling him the truth had been a good idea. Mentally smacking herself for having even the tiniest hope that he might respond positively, she reluctantly turned to look at him to tell him to forget what she just said. She met his serious gaze and wondered how she was supposed to deal with the sudden awkwardness between them, but when she thought she had enough courage to speak, Rin found herself suddenly pushed back against the pillows. Her eyes widened in surprise and her mouth opened and closed several times, but she was unable to form the words she needed to voice her surprise.

Her slim body was pinned to the bed by a much larger and muscular body and when she finally dared to look into his eyes, her surprise doubled when she saw the barely hidden passion that lurked in the amber depths. They simply stared at each other for a moment before Rin felt a large hand slid down her body rest at her waist. Gathering her courage, she lifted a delicate hand and brushed her fingers gently over his cheek. Her eyes widened slightly when he leaned into her touch and his eyes closed briefly before opening again and looking at her intently. Neither of them moved and Rin somehow managed to regain control of her body after struggling with herself for a little while.

"Sesshoumaru," she murmured, suddenly very aware of their proximity when she felt his breath on her cheek. "What are you doing?"

Sesshoumaru didn't reply, but tilted his head slightly as he looked down at the woman beneath him. He wasn't entirely sure how to answer her question if he was totally honest with himself. It had been a shock to hear Rin's admission a short while ago and it had given him hope that perhaps she could see him as more than just an acquaintance. Now that he the opportunity to make her see him as more than an acquaintance, he hesitated. Now that he was faced with something he didn't think would happen, he didn't know what to do. The last thing he wanted to do was do something that would push her away and it was so very tempting to lean down and take her plump, pink lips, but still he hesitated.

Eventually, Sesshoumaru sighed and Rin's eyes widened as he leaned towards her. Her eyes closed instinctively, expecting to feel his lips against hers in a matter of moments. When nothing happened, she cracked an eye open when she felt a sudden weight on her chest. Both her eyes opened when she realised that the weight on her chest was Sesshoumaru's head. He wasn't doing anything, simply lying there. His body had gone limp and rested against hers and his head lay on her chest, amber eyes hidden from view by his bangs. Rin wriggled slightly, releasing her hands from where they had been trapped under his body and wondered what to do. Sighing quietly, her gaze softened and she ran her fingers gently through his hair as she waited for him to do something.

After what seemed like hours, Sesshoumaru finally shifted from his position against her. A strong arm propped him up and he slowly raised his head to look into her eyes. Rin remained silent although her eyes widened at the strange look in his eyes. He lifted a hand to gently caress her cheek and he smirked slightly when he heard her sharp intake of breath. Sighing softly, his hand dropped onto the pillow beside her head as the smirk vanished from his face.

"Rin," he started and then paused, wondering what he was trying to say.

"Tell me what you're thinking," Rin whispered, taking his face in her small hands and smiling gently.

A small smile curved his lips before he looked down and hid his face from view. It was easy for her to ask such a thing, but it was not so easy for him to put his thoughts into words. He wanted nothing more than to simply tell her everything he felt, but words failed him. Every part of him wanted to begin his first proper relationship with this woman, but he didn't know where to start and his pride stopped him from admitting it. He feared hurting her because of his inexperience and he knew he would not be able to stand seeing her hurt. Sighing, he reached a decision and he felt an emptiness fill his being as he tried to choose his next words carefully.

"I am not the sort you should associate with," Sesshoumaru said finally, his head resting against her chest again as he spoke softly in a regretful voice. "You shouldn't want me to look at you as anything more than a friend."

* * *

****

AN: First of all, an apology. I said that this chapter would be up last night and I'm sorry that I couldn't put it up. Without going into details, other things required my attention, so I'm sorry to say that this story wasn't top of my list priorities. Anyhow, it's up now and I'm already half way through the next one, so that should be up either later tonight or sometime tomorrow.

My apologies once again!

xMxAx


	6. Chapter 6

"_**Your chances of success in any undertaking can always be measured **_

_**by your belief in yourself."**_

… **Robert Collier … **

**Chapter VI**

Rin froze as she heard the words and her eyes narrowed slightly when Sesshoumaru sat up. Propping his elbows up on his knees, he buried his face in his hands in a way that made him seem a lot like a lost child. This was definitely not how she had expected him to respond. She hadn't been holding much hope for him to respond positively, but this was definitely far from what she had been expecting. There was no laughter and he wasn't telling her that she stood no chance of ever being with someone like him which was what she had prepared herself for. She was confused and slightly hurt by his words. Confused because she didn't understand what he meant and hurt because he didn't seem to have even considered the possibility of a relationship of any kind with her. Sighing softly, she closed her eyes as she tried not to jump to conclusions since she didn't really understand what he was talking about, but found it quite hard to control the part of her that wanted to lash out at him for saying such things. When she felt she had regained control of her emotions, Rin exhaled slowly and looked at the man sitting on the edge of the bed, his face still buried in his hands. He looked quite pitiful really and when she saw him like that, she could almost believe that he truly regretted the fact that he said there could be no relationship between them.

"I shouldn't want to be more than friends?" Rin queried, leaning back against the pillows and crossing her arms over her chest as she spoke. "You're not the sort I should associate with?"

"That's what I said," Sesshoumaru said, eventually looking at the woman lying in his bed.

"Don't you think I'm old enough to make those kind of decisions for myself?"

"Probably, but I thought it fair to warn you."

Rin sighed. "Alright then, why are you not the sort I should associate with? What is so bad about you that you felt the need to warn me?"

Sesshoumaru looked at her without saying anything for a moment. He had hoped that after saying what he did to her, she would leave the subject alone and they could return to the relationship they had had before even though he wished they could be more than friends. It had seemed too risky to enter into a relationship with this woman when he had so little experience with relationships. He had never had any relationship with a woman that had lasted more than a night and now he cursed himself for keeping women at such a distance for most of his life. If he had at least had one relationship before now, he would feel more at ease.

"I don't have long term relationships," Sesshoumaru said after a while.

Rin raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"I've never wanted one. It always seemed too troublesome."

"I see. So you'd take a woman to bed and discard her the next day?" Rin asked, her tone slightly frosty as she thought about the situation.

"Indeed."

"Why?"

"They wanted more than I was able to give. I cannot be the doting boyfriend they all wanted me to be. It was easier just to leave them than disappoint them."

There was silence for a short while as Rin thought over his words. She could understand that pushing away the women was his way of protecting himself from the heartbreak that would follow when they discovered he wasn't what they had originally thought, but that didn't explain why he slept with them all before pushing them away. Sighing in frustration, she exhaled loudly, blowing her hair out of her face as she did so.

"So why did you sleep with them first?" she demanded, frowning as she eyed him critically.

"They started as one night stands but the next day they'd demand more. You'd think I'd have learnt after a while," Sesshoumaru muttered, a hint of irritation in his voice.

Rin's gaze softened as she listened. She couldn't fault him for the way he was now if the women he had known before her had deceived him. The urge to reach out and wrap her arms around him was almost overwhelming, but she held herself in check since there were still things she didn't understand.

"So, I'm guessing you didn't warn those women that you don't have long term relationships beforehand," Rin said, tapping her lower lip thoughtfully as she spoke.

"No."  
"Then why tell me? Why am I different?"

"I told you because I didn't want to hurt you," Sesshoumaru said softly, looking down at his hands.

"But hurting all those other women doesn't matter?"

"I'm not going to make myself unhappy to please someone else."

"That still doesn't explain why you warned me."

"I've never been in a long term relationship, Rin," Sesshoumaru murmured, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "My inexperience could end up hurting you and I wanted to prevent that. I cannot be the boyfriend you want."

"How do you know what I look for in a man?" Rin asked with narrowed eyes. "What if you're what I look for in a man?"

"I can't be."

Any understanding Rin had was quickly disappearing as she glared at the quiet man sitting beside her. He didn't seem to realise just how much he had to offer woman and how lucky any woman would be just to have any sort of relationship with him, but he seemed to be bent on refusing to acknowledge that she was interested in him. Sesshoumaru was giving her the distinct impression that he didn't want a relationship of any sort and she was beginning to feel stupid just for still being in his apartment.

Deciding not to even bother to reply to his statement, Rin found strength from somewhere and ripped the covers back. Sesshoumaru eyes widened at the motion and his gaze followed her figure as she rose to her feet and made her way towards the door with an unreadable expression on her face. Frowning slightly, he too rose to his feet and followed her as she made her way back to the kitchen and he realised that she was making a beeline for her now clean and dry clothes that still sat in the dryer. Bending down, she fished out her clothes and walked past him into the bathroom without a word. Once alone in the bathroom, Rin released a shaky sigh and slid down to the floor. She had been unwilling to show him how hurt she had been by his words and as she hastily wiped a stray tear that made its way down her cheek; she cursed herself for crying over a man she barely knew. Taking a deep breath, she pulled on her clothes and carefully folded the shirt she had been wearing before slipping out of the bathroom and into the bedroom to pull on her shoes.

"What are you doing?" Sesshoumaru asked, leaning against the doorframe as he watched her fumble with the buckles on her shoes.

"Leaving," Rin said quietly. "I'm sorry to have imposed on you."

She rose to her feet and Sesshoumaru mused that she was now steady on her feet in those incredibly high heels and wasn't finding her ability to stand upright as funny as she had done the night before. He didn't move from where he stood in the doorway and simply looked down at Rin when she stopped in front of him, waiting for him to move out of the way so she could leave. Her full lips formed a thin line that clearly showed her distress and her eyes didn't shine with the usual mischief and life.

Frowning slightly, Sesshoumaru uncrossed his arms and took a step toward Rin. Her eyes widened slightly and she took a step back and then another as Sesshoumaru continued to advance on her. Eventually, she felt the soft covers of the bed against the backs of her legs when she tried to take another step backward. Losing her balance, she sat down heavily on the bed and stared up at the tall man who towered above her. A shiver of anticipation ran down her spine as Sesshoumaru leaned down towards her, a strong arm on either side of her trapped her in place and she found herself breathless as she gazed into calm amber eyes.

"You didn't let me finish explaining," Sesshoumaru said softly, his eyes dropping to her plump lips before rising to her eyes again.

"There's nothing more to explain," Rin murmured, looking away.

"There's a lot more to explain."

"Perhaps you should start then?"

Sesshoumaru smirked and started to lean towards her slowly. "I would not turn away from the opportunity to be in a relationship with you."

"Then what's the problem?" Rin breathed, her eyes wide as he slowly drew closer to her.

"I don't want to hurt you with my inexperience."

"You won't get any experience if you don't try to have a relationship."

"I just don't want to hurt you."

Rin sighed and leaned back against the bed. She couldn't help the small smile that crossed her face as she looked at him and thought about how he was so determined not to hurt her. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her smile and smirked slightly as he wondered what she was thinking. He paused his advance and watched as she propped herself up on her elbows and gave him a soft smile.

"I understand," she said, her smile becoming mischievous. "But I'm not going to give up on you."

"Is that so?" Sesshoumaru queried with a smirk.

"It is," Rin confirmed. "You will see things my way eventually."

"How do you plan to accomplish that then?"

"I have ways."

The mischievous look on her face was so amusing that Sesshoumaru couldn't resist the low laugh that escaped his lips. Rin's eyes widened at the sound and she stared at him in surprise before regaining her composure and grinning at him. Without warning, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down with her as she fell back onto the bed. They lay in a tangle of limbs for a moment before Sesshoumaru rolled onto his side and wrapped an arm around Rin's waist when she snuggled into his side and rested her head against his shoulder. She sighed in contentment and he responded by rubbing gentle circles on her back.

"I have a proposition for you," Sesshoumaru said quietly after a moment of silence.

"Oh?" Rin asked, propping herself on an elbow to look as his face.

"I will agree to a relationship with you if you can prove to me that I won't end up hurting you."

Rin frowned slightly. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"You have ways apparently," Sesshoumaru said with a smirk.

"Alright, I'll agree to that. You won't go back on your word?"

"No, I won't."

"Good! I will change your mind!"

* * *

Despite agreeing to Sesshoumaru's proposition, Rin wasn't entirely sure how she was going to proceed. She was definitely going to make him change her mind, but she had no idea what to do next. Sesshoumaru had given her a lift home after their discussion that day and it had been just over three days since she had seen him. They had agreed to exchange contact details, but Rin highly doubted that she would hear anything from Sesshoumaru.

Sighing dramatically, she sat down heavily on her bed and stared at her reflection in a nearby mirror as she tried to decide what to do. It was obvious that she wouldn't be able to manage this alone so she would have to seek help from someone. The question was who she could trust enough to help her. She had only a handful of female friends and she had already ruled out getting help from any of her male friends since they would probably tease her mercilessly. It would also help if the person who helped her knew Sesshoumaru since she wouldn't have to try and describe him as that would be almost impossible. Rin tapped her fingers irritably on the soft surface of the bed until a smile crossed her face as she came to a decision.

The next day, she paused outside the station building where Sesshoumaru worked and looked up at it thoughtfully before going inside. Rin had taken the time to dress for today and knew that she was definitely eye-catching in her current outfit. Stepping into the office where the only women worked, she was surprised to find not one, but two men lounging in the seats usually occupied by women.

"Can I help you, Miss?" the dark haired man said eagerly as he saw her.

"Um, I came to visit someone, is that alright?" Rin asked uncertainly as she noticed that the other man bore a striking resemblance to Sesshoumaru.

The man who had caught her attention looked up from the magazine he had been looking at and looked at her with golden eyes. His gaze drifted from her to his companion and he sighed heavily as he rolled his magazine up. Leaning forward, he smacked his companion hard over the head with the magazine before pushing his chair away from the door where Rin stood and moving his own chair into the now empty space. Rin tilted her head slightly as she watched the dark haired man clutching his head at the back of the room and muttering colourful curses while the silver haired man simply opened up a large book that sat on the desk and pushed it towards her.

"Put your name there," he said gruffly, pointing to a line near the bottom of the page before gesturing to a door just outside the little office. "Put the time as well and then head through that door. Most of the guys will be on the first room on the right."

"Thanks," Rin murmured before heading out the door.

Sesshoumaru sighed as he leaned back against wall in the makeshift gym the other men had created in one of the rooms at the station. Sweat made his hair cling to his skin even though he had tied it back before beginning his usual workout. He pushed his bangs out of his eyes and sighed again. The sound of laughter and wolf whistles caught his attention a couple of moments later and he wondered what had made his workmates to cheerful. Getting to his feet, he walked out the door and down towards the staff room where all the noise was coming from. Kouga looked out of the locker room as he walked past and Sesshoumaru paused to speak to his friend.

"What's all the noise about?" Kouga asked, stepping into the corridor clad in only a pair of trousers and a towel around his shoulders that indicated he had just emerged from the shower.

"No idea," Sesshoumaru said with a shrug.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Sesshoumaru made his way towards the staff room once again with Kouga in tow. The walked into the room to find all the men gathered near the back of the room and they all seemed to be talking at once. Sesshoumaru glanced at Kouga who merely shrugged before walking towards the rowdy group.

"What's going on here?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice raising enough to be heard over the ruckus.

"Nothin' much," one man said with a grin as he turned to look at Sesshoumaru.

A silver eyebrow rose as Sesshoumaru heard the words, but he didn't comment since his attention was drawn to the cause of the noise. Sitting demurely between two tall burly men was Rin. She was smiling cheerfully as she talked to the men and listened to their stories. Sesshoumaru shook his head as he took in her appearance. Her long slim legs were clad in black tights and her denim skirt was, in his opinion, far too short to be worn in public. Her shirt was white and the buttons undone enough to show a little of her tantalising cleavage. Almost immediately, he felt like covering her with a jacket and hiding her from view, but he wasn't given enough time to act on his thoughts. Rin spotted him and her smile grew as she jumped to her feet and came over to him, reaching up to kiss his cheek gently.

"What are you doing here, Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the lustful looks she was receiving from the other men.

"I have business here today," she replied, only being half-truthful.

"You have business here today?" Sesshoumaru queried, his voice betraying his disbelief.

"Why don't we have this discussion somewhere else?" Kouga suggested before ushering the pair out the door and into the locker room.

He made his way to his open locker and pulled out a clean shirt, which he pulled on before returning to the pair who were now sitting silently on the benches nearby. Kouga resisted the urge to sigh at the pair when he realised that it seemed that his little trick the other night had not solved anything. Pulling up a chair, he sat down heavily.

"What's going on, Rin?" Kouga asked, speaking to the woman for the first time.

"Like I said, I have business here today," Rin replied with a smile.

"Your business requires you to sit in a room full of men in a skimpy outfit?" Sesshoumaru demanded with a frown.

"No, it doesn't," Rin said. "I didn't know where you two were so I thought it was probably best if I didn't go wandering around."

"What is the business you have here today?" Kouga asked, stepping in before an argument broke out.

"Oh!" she exclaimed as though only just remembering. "My agency sent me here to ask if it was alright to use the premises for a photo shoot."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her words and Kouga looked surprised, but reached out for the papers she held out to him. He read through them briefly and nodded his head, confirming that she wasn't making up a story. Sesshoumaru palmed his face as he tried very hard not to imagine what kind of photo shoot she would be involved in next. The last few hadn't been very successful, but he supposed that if something did go up in flames, it could be dealt with easily.

"I'll have to discuss this with the higher ups," Kouga said slowly as he read the papers. "Do you need to know today?"

"No, tomorrow will be fine," Rin said with a smile.

"That was your business?" Sesshoumaru asked, hoping that she hadn't planned anything else.

"That's part of it."

"What's the rest?"

"The rest involves Kouga actually."

Kouga looked up at the sound of his name but was completely baffled. He glanced at Sesshoumaru, hoping to find some clue about what was going on but he found none. Sighing, he folded the papers and put them in his pocket before turning his attention to the smiling woman.

"What involves me?" he asked warily.

"I'd like Ayame's number if you don't mind," Rin said, her smile growing.

"Uh, sure," Kouga replied in confusion before hastily scribbling it down for her.

"Thank you, that will definitely help."

"Help?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Nothing," Rin replied sweetly, giving him a sly wink as she rose to her feet. "I'll be back sometime tomorrow to hear the verdict on the photo shoot."

The two men watched in silence as she smiled at them over her shoulder before heading out the door, her hips swaying enticingly as she walked. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he watched her disappear. Something didn't sit well with him and he began to wonder if it had anything to do with the deal they had made the other day. Kouga clapped him on the back and whistled.

"I don't know what you did, Sesh," he said, eyes wide in amazement. "But I don't think you're going to win this battle."

"There is no battle."

"Really?"

"Just a deal."

"You chose the wrong woman to make a deal with," Kouga said with a laugh. "What kind of deal did you make?"

"An interesting one. It seems she's taking it a lot more seriously than I initially thought."

"You're not going to win this one, Sesh. It'll probably be better to give in to what she wants."

"No. I want to see what she's planning."


	7. Chapter 7

"_**Chance corrects us of many faults that reason would not know how to correct."**_

… **Francois De La Rochefoucauld …**

**Chapter VII**

True to her word, Rin had returned to the station the next day but had not stayed long. In fact, she had come and gone in less than a quarter of an hour which stunned the men who had been so overjoyed to see her again. Sesshoumaru still suspected that she was up to something although he wasn't entirely sure what it was and Kouga was still completely at a loss as to why Rin would want Ayame's number. Ayame had refused to say anything when he had asked which made him begin to agree with Sesshoumaru. Rin was definitely up to something.

Eventually, the two suspicious men gave up trying to make sense of what she did and just asked her what she was doing, but they received no answer. Rin had simply smiled sweetly and remained mum. After having found out nothing on all the occasions they asked her, the pair ultimately gave up. Since they didn't know what she was up to, they decided that it was simply best to remain on guard at all times in case she did something unexpected.

Rin did do something unexpected, but it was nothing like what Sesshoumaru and Kouga had imagined. It started one weekend when Kouga was trying in vain to get Ayame to go out to lunch with him later that day. Sesshoumaru had been present at the time and had simply watched the argument, not perturbed in the slightest by the raised voices and occasional insults. It was the norm after all.

"I'm already told you!" Ayame said with a hint of exasperation in her voice. "I've got plans for today so I can't promise to have lunch with you."

Kouga sighed. "Alright, where are you going?"

"I'm just going shopping with a friend."

"That's it?" He asked, eyebrow rising as he spoke, but he quickly changed the tone of his voice when Ayame narrowed her eyes at him. "Alright. Well we've got some stuff to do so if we see you; will you agree to have lunch then?"

"That might be a good idea," Ayame said thoughtfully before nodding. "Yes. We'll have lunch if we meet."

In truth, Ayame was meeting Rin that day, but she decided that Kouga and Sesshoumaru didn't really need to know that detail. She hastily left the apartment she shared with her fiancée shortly after the conversation and headed down to the designated meeting spot. Rin was sitting demurely on a bench nearby, a book in hand and her coat pulled close around her to ward off the chill in the air. She looked up when she heard Ayame call her name and a broad smile crossed her face as she shorter red haired woman approached. She and Ayame had become fast friends and the excitable little red hair woman always brought a smile to Rin's face.

"Are you alright?" Ayame asked, frowning in concern as she looked at Rin. "You look a little pale."

"I'm fine," Rin said, pasting a smile onto her face and waving her hand dismissively as they walked into the shopping centre. "I just didn't get much sleep last night."

Ayame nodded understandingly. "Where shall we start first?"

"You choose. I can't think of anything that I desperately need at the moment."

"Then we start here!"

Rin smiled wearily as she found herself pulled over to the nearest clothing store. It was true, she hadn't had enough sleep the night before, but that had been because she had worked late. In fact, she had worked late everyday for the past fortnight and it was really beginning to take its toll on her. A lot of work had suddenly arrived at the agency and most of it had been for her. It seemed that her last few photos shoots had impressed quite a few people and they were all asking her to model for them. Her plan to change Sesshoumaru's mind had to be put to one side temporarily until she could better focus on it and her job kept her far too busy at the moment to think about any ideas clearly. Rin discovered that the worst part of her job was definitely the travelling. It seemed that photographers from all over the country were seeking her out, but the problem was that in most cases, she had to go to them which meant that she was often travelling.

She sighed softly as Ayame disappeared into a changing room to try on a new outfit she liked and Rin was left to wait outside. She loved her job, but it had never been this stressful before and she could only wonder how long she could keep up such a busy schedule before the strain of it began to show. If she was tired, she couldn't focus on work properly which meant that less people would want her as their model which in turn meant she got less money. At the moment, she survived by drinking as much coffee as she could and being on a constant caffeine high got her through the day. It was not the lifestyle she had dreamed about when she was still an aspiring model. Still, the job paid well and if she could get past this busy time, she was pretty certain that she could handle anything else the job threw at her.

"What do you think?" Ayame asked, breaking into Rin's thoughts as she emerged from the changing room.

"It looks good," Rin said, mustering as much energy as she could to make her smile seem real. "The colours really suit you."

"Do you think Kouga will like this?"

"You're buying it for that reason?"

"Of course! Valentines Day is only a week away!"

Rin smiled. "Well you should have said that in the beginning. We're in the wrong shop if you're looking for things to impress him."

"Where are we going?" Ayame asked after she had changed back into her original clothes.

"To a shop that better suits your purpose," Rin said with a smile.

Rin led her friend through the crowds of people until she saw the shop she wanted and came to a stop in front of it. Ayame looked up at it with a frown and sent a doubtful look in Rin's direction. Rin shrugged and gave her an encouraging smile before pushing the door open.

"I don't know if this is a good idea," Ayame said hesitantly as she looked around the shop. "I doubt any of this lingerie would look good on me. I don't really have a good figure."

"Of course you do!" Rin exclaimed, looking as though her friend had said something scandalous. "In fact, I'd be quite happy if I had a figure like yours."

"But you're already so pretty!"

Rin blushed slightly before waving her hand as though she could wave away the compliment. "This shop has a pretty diverse range of lingerie, Ayame. You'll definitely be able to find something you like here."

"I don't know what to look for though," Ayame murmured.

"Then shall I pick out the ones I think are best and you can choose from them?"

"If you don't mind."

Being a model meant that Rin was usually considered to be quite fashioned conscious, but she wasn't really. She dressed more for comfort than for style and it never really bothered her if what she wore was a little out of style. Even if everyday fashion wasn't her strong point, Rin was an expert when it came to lingerie which was to be expected since her job revolved around it. Ayame simply followed her around the shop with a bemused expression as Rin picked up various items and scrutinised them carefully before deciding on whether or not she was going to add that to the growing pile of clothing in Ayame's arms. Eventually, she seemed satisfied with her choices and she smiled as she laid out her choices for her friend to see.

"What do you think? Anything you like?" Rin asked, feeling slightly more excited than she had a short while ago.

"I could really wear this?" Ayame asked, holding up a short silk slip.

"Of course you can! It'll show off your long legs."

"I don't have long legs."

"Yes you do," Rin said with a smile. "We've got somewhere else to go after this if you're still interested in getting something for Kouga's benefit."

Remembering her reason for being where she was Ayame had smiled and decided on the dark red silk slip. Rin had approved of her choice and led her out of the store and through the crowds until she stopped in front of a shoe shop she visited quite often.

"I have plenty of shoes," Ayame said on confusion. "Besides, I can't afford shoes as well."

"You're not paying for them," Rin said cheerfully as she led the way through the store. "It's a present from me."

Rin smiled to herself when Ayame had fallen silent after that comment. She had gotten to know Ayame quite well and had to admit that the woman was truly amazing. Her bubbly nature seemed to always be present, but she was also quite timid at times. Rin supposed she had embarrassed her friend by saying that the shoes were a gift, but she didn't see any reason why she couldn't give her friend a gift. The shoes in the store they were in were reasonably priced so Ayame wouldn't feel guilty about her paying too much and the very thought of making her friend smile made Rin smile.

"You've got to find a pair of shoes you like," Rin said and gestured to two rows of shelves that held rows upon rows of stilettos.

"Stilettos?" Ayame questioned.

"They give the impression of long legs. You didn't believe me earlier, so these will help."

"I wish I was tall like you."

Rin giggled. "I'm not tall at all. Look."

Sitting down on a nearby bench, Rin took off her shoes and stood up again. Ayame's eyes widened in surprise. Sure enough, Rin was not tall. In fact, she was shorter than she was. Raising an eyebrow, Ayame looked down at the shoes Rin had been wearing and gasped in shock when she saw how high the heels were.

"How do you walk in those?!" she demanded, pointing at the shoes Rin was putting back on.

"It takes practice, but walking in these is an everyday occurrence for me," Rin said with a shrug as she stood up and once again appeared to be tall.

After what seemed like hours, Ayame eventually decided on a pair of shoes and Rin bought them for her just as she said she would but not before choosing a new pair of shoes for herself as well. Happily, they walked out of the shop and back through the crowds as Rin gave her friend tips on what she should do with her hair and make up when she came to use the new outfit they had gotten her. Rin was beginning to feel weary, but she pasted a smile onto her face as walked beside her friend. It wasn't often that she got a day off so she should enjoy it, but she still felt as though she could fall asleep where she stood. Deciding that it was probably a good idea to get some caffeine into her system, she suggested having lunch to Ayame who readily agreed.

Just as they turned to walk towards the various restaurants nearby, Rin saw a familiar figured and almost sighed. The figure was that of Sesshoumaru and the man beside him was quite likely Kouga. The pair didn't seem to have noticed the two women and Rin hoped that they could pass by unnoticed. She was sure that Sesshoumaru thought she was up to something after she had visited the station to get Ayame's number, but she wasn't really up to anything… yet. She was so weary that she wondered if she could really deal with the enigmatic Sesshoumaru now since she barely had enough energy to muster up a convincing smile. Rin was quite sure that Ayame already knew that Rin's smiles so far had been forced, but she was grateful that her friend had not commented on it. Still, she prayed to any deities listening that they would pass each other unnoticed, but her prayers went unanswered as she heard Kouga's cheerful voice over the sounds of the crowds around them.

"So this is who you were going shopping with," Kouga said with a grin as he looked at Rin.

"It's been so long since I've seen Rin so I invited her out," Ayame explained with a happy smile. "Has Kouga been dragging you around, Sesshoumaru?"

"Not really," Sesshoumaru said quietly, his gaze going from Ayame to Rin who stood silently nearby.

His amber eyes narrowed as he took in her appearance. She looked tired and he could tell that her smiles were forced. Rin had never looked like this before and he wondered what had suddenly caused it, but then he realised that it wasn't a sudden change. He hadn't seen her in nearly two weeks. She photo shoot she had been asked to arrange at the station had been cancelled and he hadn't seen her since she had come to inform then of that. Sesshoumaru couldn't even begin to imagine what she had been doing to make herself look so tired, but he supposed it had a lot to do with her job.

"We were going to have lunch," Ayame said with a smile. "Do you want to join us?"

"Yeah! I'm starving!" Kouga exclaimed, wrapping an arm around Ayame as they led the way to the restaurant.

Sesshoumaru and Rin followed behind the pair at a slower pace, but said nothing for a long time. Rin sighed quietly after a while and gave him a weak smile as she led the way through the restaurant to the table her friends had chosen. Sesshoumaru frowned slightly as he heard the sigh and felt the urge to tell her to go home, but decided to remain silent. Perhaps she would feel better after she had eaten something.

"Did you buy anything good?" Kouga asked Ayame as he noticed the bags at her feet.

Ayame glanced at Rin and grinned. "Thanks to Rin, I got some pretty amazing things."

"You made the final choices," Rin said with a smile. "I only pointed you in the right direction."

"I wouldn't have even considered buying these things if you hadn't have been with me!"

"Maybe you'll buy some more in future," Rin replied, winking at her friend before turning to thank the waitress as she set her food down on the table.

Everyone ate quietly and by the end of the meal, Rin was feeling better than earlier. She still didn't feel like she was back to normal, but she certainly felt like she had a bit more energy. Sighing happily, she sank down in her chair and closed her eyes, blocking out the sounds from around her.

"What did you need to buy today?" Ayame asked Kouga after a while.

"Just stuff for work," Kouga said, stretching his arms above his head. "We've got a few new people starting at the station soon so we're preparing for their arrival."

"Who's going to show them what to do?"

"Sesh and I probably will since we've been there the longest."

"I hate training new recruits," Sesshoumaru muttered with a frown.

"Gotta be done though!" Kouga replied before grinning at his friend. "You seem to be quite a comfortable pillow, Sesh."

Sesshoumaru stared at his friend, not understanding what he meant. Following Kouga's gaze, he looked down to his side and noticed that Rin had fallen asleep in her chair and was leaning against his side, her head resting on his shoulder. He shook his head as he looked at her and wondered why she would agree to go out shopping when she was this tired.

"She's been tired all day," Ayame said with a frown. "She was quite pale earlier as well. It's a bit worrying really."

"Why's that?" Kouga asked, draping an arm around Ayame's shoulders.

"I've spent the day wondering if she was going to collapse. I wouldn't know what to do if she did. She's probably overworking herself."

"Maybe you should take her home, Sesh?" Kouga suggested after hearing his fiancée's concerns.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "What about you two?"  
"We'll probably just go home," Ayame said with a shrug. "Ask her to call me later please."

Kouga and Ayame disappeared to pay for lunch and head home, leaving Sesshoumaru and a sleeping Rin still sitting at the table. Sighing, Sesshoumaru shifted slightly in his seat and gently shook Rin awake. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked around her, trying to gather her bearings before realising that she was leaning against something or rather, someone. Pushing herself upright, she looked to the side and saw Sesshoumaru's amber eyes looking at her intently and she gave him an uncertain smile.

"Where did the other two go?" she asked, noticing that Kouga and Ayame were missing.

"They've already left. Ayame wants you to call her later."

"Oh, thank you. Why are you still here?"

"Because I'm taking you home."

"Why?" she asked in confusion, although she could guess his reasons.

"You should be in bed. You're too tired to be out."

"I suppose you're right," Rin said with a soft sigh.

"Let's go."

The pair got to their feet and Sesshoumaru took Rin's shopping bags from her, offering her his arm when she looked unsteady on her feet. She smiled gratefully at him and slipped her arm through his, deciding to push aside her independent side and accept his help. They slowly made their way through the shopping centre and out to the car park.

"How did you get here?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking down at the woman beside him.

"The bus," Rin replied softly.

Nodding, Sesshoumaru made his way towards his car and opened the passenger door for her. They drove to her house in silence and when they arrived, Sesshoumaru was surprised to find that Rin was still awake. She felt his gaze and looked over at him, giving him a smile as she began to get out of the car. Picking up her bags, Sesshoumaru followed her to the door. Sighing wearily, Rin leaned against the door as she searched through her bag for her keys and it took great effort to push herself back upright. Her eyes widened when she felt an arm slip around her waist, but smiled to herself when she realised that it was simply Sesshoumaru's way of showing he was worried about her.

"Will you stay a bit longer?" Rin asked hopefully as she pushed open the door and stepped inside.

"If you wish," Sesshoumaru replied, slightly taken aback by the request.

Rin smiled as she walked towards the living room and sat down heavily on the sofa. She closed her eyes but cracked one open a moment later when she felt the sofa dip beside her. Sesshoumaru sat beside her and looked at her with a frown. She didn't really want to ask what the cause of that frown was since it probably had something to do with her, but her curiosity got the better of her.

"Why're you frowning?" she asked, closing her eyes again and letting a small smile tug her lips.

"If you're going to sleep, you should go to bed," Sesshoumaru said quietly.

"I'm not going to sleep. I'm going to watch a film and you're going to sit with me," Rin replied with a smile.

With renewed energy, Rin sat up and walked across the room to choose a film, Sesshoumaru shook his head as he watched her. She hadn't taken her coat off and she looked as though she was just about to go out, but he was going to make sure she didn't. Getting to his feet, he walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders, smirking when she jumped in surprise. She turned around to look at him in confusion.

"If you're going to stay indoors, you should take off your coat," he said simply.

"Oh, I forgot I had it one," Rin said with a smile.

After ridding her of her coat, Sesshoumaru found himself pulled back to the sofa after Rin had decided on a film. He was surprised when he realised she was clutching his arm and wondered just what kind of film she had chosen. Films were not something he cared for and he much preferred books to films, but decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to mention that to Rin now. Sighing to himself, he wondered if he could fall asleep so he wouldn't have to watch the film. Deciding that that was the best option available to him at that moment, he settled down to sleep.

Miraculously, Rin stayed awake throughout the entire film although sleep had threatened to take her on more than one occasion, but she had fought it and won the battle. Sighing as she turned off the television, she glanced at her companion to get his opinion on the film but smiled when she discovered him asleep. It seemed that he was either bored by the film or was more tired than he let on. Shaking her head slightly, she got to her feet and disappeared into her bedroom, returning moments later with one of the soft blankets from her bed. After making sure he would be warm, Rin curled up beside him and promptly fell asleep, knowing that her dreams would be filled with the man beside her.


	8. Chapter 8

"_**When one door closes another opens; **_

_**But we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, **_

_**That we do not see the ones which open for us."**_

… **Alexander Graham Bell …**

**Chapter VIII**

Several days passed after the time Sesshoumaru had fallen asleep on Rin's sofa and he didn't see or hear anything from her. They had exchanged contact details, but he couldn't bring himself to call her. He wouldn't know what to say for a start and what point was there in calling someone if he didn't have anything to talk about? Despite not having the courage to call her, Sesshoumaru couldn't keep her from his thoughts. Kouga couldn't resist teasing his friend every so often when he claimed that Sesshoumaru looked lovesick. However, what Kouga and Sesshoumaru didn't know was that Ayame and Rin had arranged to meet again without telling the two men. When Kouga discovered that his fiancée was going out one Saturday and refused to tell him where, he was not pleased.

"Why won't you tell me where you're going?" he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched Ayame pull her coat on.

"Because you don't need to know," Ayame replied simply, waving at Sesshoumaru as she walked through the living room where he sat.

"So you don't care that I sit and worry about you while you're out?" Kouga asked, following his fiancée into the living room.

"You won't sit and worry. Nothing will happen and if anything does, I promise I'll call you."

Ayame closed the front door and made her way to the designated meeting spot. As usual, Rin was already there and waiting patiently for her friend at a small restaurant. Rin looked up and smiled broadly as she saw Ayame approach.

"You're always early, Rin!" Ayame exclaimed with a laugh as she sat down opposite her friend.

"It's a habit," Rin replied with a shrug. "Did you leave Kouga at home?"

"Yep! He wasn't too pleased that I didn't tell him where I was going though."

"You could've told him you were meeting me," Rin said with a smile. "It's not really necessary to keep this a secret from him."

"Sesshoumaru was there as well."

"Oh, I see."

"Speaking of him, are you any closer to changing his mind?" Ayame asked curiously, smiling at the waitress who placed a steaming cup of tea in front of her.

"I haven't started that yet," Rin admitted with a frown.

"Why not?"

"I don't know where to start. It's harder than I thought."

"Well, I know a bit about him, so hopefully that'll come in handy," Ayame said reassuringly.

Sighing softly, Rin watched as her friend ordered her meal before placing her own order. It was all very well for Ayame to say that she knew a bit about Sesshoumaru and that she thought it might be useful, but Rin couldn't really see how it would help. She doubted that Ayame knew anything particularly personal about him that could help her get Sesshoumaru to notice her as more than a friend.

"What're you sighing about?" Ayame queried, looking at Rin closely.

"Just thinking."

"About what?"

"I'm wondering if I made the right decision by accepting that challenge," Rin admitted quietly.

"You can't give up just yet. Didn't you say that you haven't even started yet?"

"I did, but I don't really think I'm going to get the result I want."

"Well you won't if you're not going to be positive about it."

"I suppose you're right, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder if it's really possible to change his mind."

"He is a hard nut to crack," Ayame said thoughtfully as she took a sip of her drink. "It's not impossible though."

"Hm."

"You know, he didn't really like me when we first met."

"Why's that?" Rin asked, curious about possibly hearing something that might help her with her challenge.

"I don't really know. It might have been that he thought I was going to monopolise Kouga's time or it could simply be that he didn't like the fact that I involved him in nearly everything Kouga and I did for the first few months," Ayame said with a smile.

"What did you do?"

"I just made sure he was included in nearly everything we did together. That way he would hopefully start to like me and we could be friends."

"That tactic worked then?"

"It did," Ayame grinned at the memory. "He accepted me and now we're pretty close. I don't think I'll ever have the same sort of friendship with him as Kouga does though."

"Why?"

"They grew up together so there're things about Sesshoumaru I will never know and other things about him I'll probably understand."

"Like what?"

"The way he keeps his emotions to himself, for example. There's obvious a reason for that, but I probably wouldn't understand even if he ever trusted me enough to tell me."

Rin sighed and rested her forehead on the table. "I think I should probably just give up."

"You shouldn't give up."

"I think I'm fighting a losing battle. Knowing my luck, he'll find the woman of his dreams just when I think I'm getting somewhere with this deal."

"Sesshoumaru doesn't make decisions without thinking them through very carefully and planning ahead for nearly every eventuality he can think of. I think he made that deal with you because he knows you'll win."

"I'm beginning to think he made that deal to see me fail," Rin muttered, staring at her reflection in the glass table beneath her head. "I'm so stupid."

Ayame shook her head as she looked at her friend. It was amazing to think that such a vibrant woman could have such dark thoughts. What stunned her the most was the fact that Rin carried this much pessimism around with her and still managed to put on a convincing smile on her face. Then again, the pessimism could be a new addition to her life that only developed lately; there was no way for her to know. Realisation dawned suddenly and Ayame stared at the woman who still had her head on the table. There was a lot about Rin that she didn't know. Rin nearly always had a cheerful smile on her face, but considering how little Ayame knew about her past, that smile could be covering substantial pain. Sighing, Ayame decided that maybe that topic was for another day.

"You're not stupid, Rin" she said gently with a reassuring smile.

"I am. If I wasn't, I would've seen this deal for what it was."

"What is it?"

"Something to entertain him while he waits for the woman of his dreams to come along."

"But if you give up before you start, how will you know that you aren't the woman of his dreams?"

Rin sat up and stared at her friend for a moment before bursting into laughter. "That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard!"

"Why?" Ayame asked, frowning slightly.

It was perfectly possible for Rin to be the woman who could change Sesshoumaru's cold demeanour. It was obvious that there was attraction on both sides, but it seemed that Rin didn't know how to interpret Sesshoumaru's subtle hints. Ayame almost smiled as she thought over the situation. While Rin didn't understand Sesshoumaru's hints, the man himself clearly didn't realise how deeply she cared for him.

"It's impossible for me to be the woman of anyone's dreams. Why would anyone want someone like me?" Rin murmured almost to herself as she looked out the window and seemed unwilling to say any more on the subject.

"Who wouldn't want you?" Ayame countered with a smile. "You don't realise how special you are."

"Hm. Special, huh?"

Rin turned her head away and watched the people walking past with feigned interest. She was beginning to wish she had never brought this topic up for conversation since it was now drifting dangerously close to a topic she didn't want to discuss. Sighing to herself, she wondered how she had gotten so far in her life and pushed the thought from her mind as she pasted her usual cheerful smile to her face as she turned back to Ayame, trying to act as she normally did before she aroused her friend's curiosity.

Unfortunately, Ayame was already curious about Rin, but was unsure how to go about getting answers to her questions. Rin was a strange person in many ways. During the brief hour they had spent together that day, Ayame was already completely baffled by the woman. Rin seemed cheerful with an almost irritatingly positive outlook on life, but today she had demonstrated that her feelings about the bet she made with Sesshoumaru were anything but positive. It seemed that although Rin smiled a lot and seemed to be quite happy go lucky, that smile of hers hid a lot that Ayame wondered if she would ever find out about.

* * *

When Ayame returned to the house later that afternoon, she found herself wrapped in Kouga's embrace almost as soon as the door was closed behind her. Smiling tolerantly, she allowed herself to be led to the living room where Sesshoumaru was sitting quietly. He nodded a greeting before turning his attention to the television but it was obvious to anyone that he was not actually watching it. Tilting her head, Ayame glanced at Kouga and he merely shrugged as he sat down and pulled her down beside him.

"Sesh is being boring, just ignore him," Kouga said with a smirk.

"He's our guest, Kouga. You can't ignore a guest," Ayame chided her fiancée gently.

Kouga ignored her completely and muttered something under his breath that Ayame didn't catch. Shaking her head, she stared up at the ceiling as she thought about the conversation with Rin that afternoon. She had hoped that she would become closer to Rin gradually, but it seemed that she wasn't any closer to the other woman at all. If anything, she felt further away since there seemed to be so much about Rin that she didn't know. She wanted to befriend the model and got the impression that Rin wanted the same, but somehow, Rin always kept herself at a distance.

"How did this afternoon go?" Kouga asked eventually.

"It was fine," Ayame said slowly.

"You don't sound sure," Sesshoumaru said quietly, stopping his pretence of watching the television as he heard his friend's unsure tone of voice.

Ayame sighed. "I'm just thinking."

"About what, love?" Kouga asked, draping an arm around her shoulders.

"About today."

The red haired woman didn't seem to want to say anymore on the subject and it caused Sesshoumaru and Kouga to look at each other in confusion. The petite woman was usually for of life and had smiles for everyone, but there was definitely something wrong with her now. Sesshoumaru shrugged it off since it was none of his business, but Kouga was worried.

"Did you see Rin today?" he asked, catching everyone's attention.

"I did," Ayame agreed, looking at her fiancée curiously. "Why do you ask?"

"I thought maybe you had an argument or something with her."

Ayame giggled. "No. We didn't argue, but I've just got some things to think about, I suppose."

"Like what? Maybe Sesh or I could offer some help."

At the mention of Rin's name, Sesshoumaru looked up and tuned into the conversation and that did not escape Ayame's attention. Smiling to herself, she supposed it wouldn't hurt to talk to the two men about her thoughts as long as she didn't mention how pessimistic Rin had been earlier that day.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to talk about it," Ayame said with a soft sigh.

"What's wrong, love?" Kouga asked with a frown.

"Nothing's wrong. I just really don't understand Rin."

"Don't understand her?" Sesshoumaru echoed with confusion evident in his voice.

"She's pretty easy to understand," Kouga said, tilting his head to one side. "She doesn't seem to be a very complicated individual."

"I think she is though," Ayame said thoughtfully. "I think she's got more going on in her life than she cares to let on."

Sesshoumaru sat back in his chair as he thought about Ayame's words. It was possible that Rin was more complicated than she let on, but then everyone's life became complicated in way or another at some point. Sighing to himself, he decided to listen to the conversation but keep his thought to himself and let Kouga do the talking.

"For example, have you ever noticed how she seems eager to befriend us, but she hasn't ever told us anything about her other than her occupation?" Ayame asked.

"No, I don't suppose we had noticed that," Kouga replied slowly. "But perhaps she's just a private person. That doesn't mean there's things going on she doesn't want to talk about."

"You're not observant enough, Kouga," Ayame chided her fiancée. "I suppose you haven't noticed how sad she looks when she doesn't smile?"

"No, I didn't notice that either. She's always been smiling around us. Maybe she's willing to drop her guard around you?"

"I don't think that's the case. I think she drops her guard when she thinks no one will notice. It's strange that she seems to want to be friends, but keeps us as a distance," Ayame sighed. "I suppose I'll discover it eventually if I'm patient."

With the serious talk over and done with, Ayame and Kouga were soon bickering as though there had never been a discussion about Rin's private life. While the couple were bickering over what to have for dinner, Sesshoumaru was still deep in thought about what Ayame had spoken about. He had never noticed any of the things she had spoken about, but he had never looked for them. Rin's past had never been something he thought about, but now he realised that it was probably a crucial key in understanding the way she was now. When she was around him, Rin was usually smiling and there was never any hint that anything bad had ever happened in her past. Even when her smile dropped, there was none of the sadness that Ayame had spoken about and he began to wonder if maybe Ayame was reading into the situation too much. However, his curiosity had been aroused and he was keen to know more, but Sesshoumaru also realised that if he wanted to know about her past, she would probably want to know about his and he wasn't sure he was ready to divulge that information to her. That was information only Kouga knew about since they were childhood friends and sharing it with another person seemed strange. Still, he supposed that if he ever wanted to find out her past, he would have to be willing to tell her of his.

* * *

**AN: **I'm sorry this chapter is shorter than the others, but another one should be up later today hopefully :) Thank you for all the reviews so far!

xMxAx


	9. Chapter 9

"_**If there is anything that a man can do well, I say let him do it. **_

_**Give him a chance."**_

… **Abraham Lincoln … **

**Chapter IX**

The conversation about Rin's past seemed to have been forgotten by both Kouga and Ayame, but Sesshoumaru found himself unable to forget. He was now very curious about her and wondered why he hadn't wanted to know about her this badly before. Pushing the thought away, he supposed it was because he assumed that as they grew closer, he would learn more about her. Before he could give that idea anymore thought, Ayame came into the living room with drinks for everyone. Sesshoumaru watched as she sighed softly as she sank down into her seat beside Kouga and was instantly wary when he noticed her gaze land on him and a small smile curved her lips before she hid it by taking a sip of her drink. It was obvious that Ayame was up to something and that was never a good thing. She could be very devious when she wanted to be and the very thought of her having an idea that involved him in some way set him on edge.

"So, Sesshoumaru," Ayame said to catch his attention, smirking inwardly when she noticed how uneasy he was.

"Yes?"

"It's Valentines Day tomorrow."

"I am aware of this. Your fiancée refuses to let me forget."

"Is that so?" Ayame asked, her eyebrow rising in surprise as she turned to look quizzically at Kouga who merely shrugged. "Have you got plans?"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering where the conversation was going. "No, I have no plans."

"That's too bad, Sesh," Kouga said sympathetically.

"I don't particularly care. Valentines Day holds little significance to me," Sesshoumaru said with a shrug.

"That's because you don't have anyone to spend it with," Ayame pointed out.

"Perhaps, but is this day truly necessary?"

"What do you mean, Sesh?"

"I mean, if I was in relationship with someone I cared for, why would I need this one day to show them that when I could do it any other day?"

"It's an incentive to spoil you partner and show them how much you care for them," Ayame said with a fond smile at Kouga as she remembered her shopping trip with Rin.

"As I said, why do I need this day? If it were me, I'd spoil my partner everyday and not just once a year. It's just an excuse for stores to sell silly things at outrageous prices and still get sales."

"You realise that you have just admitted to having a romantic side to you?" Kouga asked with a laugh.

"Don't tease him," Ayame said quietly. "I think it's nice that he has a romantic side, but it's still a shame you don't have anyone to spend the day with."

"As I said, it matters little."

Ayame looked at Sesshoumaru intently as Kouga engaged his friend in conversation. She supposed she could at least report that little gem of information back to Rin. That would certainly give the other woman a surprise to discover that Sesshoumaru was actually quite a romantic behind that cold exterior. However, she hadn't managed to get her idea across and she wondered what he would make of suggestion when she came to say. It was quite likely that he would simply shake his head and refuse, but she would try anyway. Fortunately for her, Kouga had just been telling Sesshoumaru about his plans for Valentines Day and where he was going to take her. They were still on the right topic of conversation but she sensed that she should make her suggestion quickly before Sesshoumaru lost interest in the topic.

"Why don't you send something to Rin?" Ayame suggested suddenly, looking at Sesshoumaru over the rim of her teacup.

"I'm sorry?" Sesshoumaru stared at her in confusion.

"That's a good idea!" Kouga exclaimed, catching on to his fiancée's idea. "You should do that, Sesh."

"Why should I do something like that?" Sesshoumaru queried, raising an eyebrow at the couple opposite him.

"Because if nothing else, your friendship with her will strengthen," Ayame said with a smile.

"If nothing else?"

"Well, you never know what might happen. What if a relationship develops and you two get married some day? You'd have me to thank for it!"

"Perhaps that's just wishful thinking, love," Kouga said in amusement as he looked at his friend's disbelieving face as he listened to the petite woman talk.

"I'm not saying that that is what's going to happen and I'm sure that if you really wanted that kind of relationship with her, you'd have already made your move," Ayame said in dismissive tone, watching Sesshoumaru carefully as she spoke. "But wouldn't it be nice to be friendlier with her?"

"She's right, Sesh," Kouga agreed, nodding sagely. "There doesn't have to be any romantic feelings behind it, it'll just show her that you thought of her."

"I suspect that you two would probably send something on my behalf if I refused," Sesshoumaru said suspiciously.

"Probably," Kouga agreed with a grin.

"Then I suppose I had better do it myself."

"That's the spirit, Sesh!"

"Are you working tomorrow, Sesshoumaru?" Ayame asked.

"Yes, but I only start at 1pm."

"That's good."

"Why?"

"Come shopping with me. Kouga's got some meeting to go to and he'd be useless at helping you choose a gift for Rin."

"I resent that," Kouga said with a frown, crossing his arms as he spoke.

"Don't sulk, you're not a child," Ayame chided him with a smile before turning to Sesshoumaru. "I'll help you choose something nice for her."

* * *

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to come!" Ayame said with a laugh as she saw Sesshoumaru approaching.

"If I didn't, you two wouldn't have sent something for me. If I have no choice in the matter, I'd at least like to choose what is sent," Sesshoumaru said with a slight frown as he pushed his hands into his pockets.

Ayame laughed and pulled the stoic man into the shopping centre. They walked from shop to shop and as they looked at various things, Sesshoumaru began to get an idea of what sort of things were acceptable gifts, but he had no idea what would be suitable to send to Rin and he dreaded to think what Kouga and Ayame would have sent her if he hadn't come shopping with Ayame this morning. He would probably never be able to face Rin again if he had let that happen.

"Are you going to get the gift delivered or will you give it to her yourself?" Ayame asked as she paused to glance through the window of the lingerie shop she had visited with Rin.

"I don't know," Sesshoumaru admitted, hoping that his companion wasn't planning to take him into that store.

"You know where she lives, don't you?"

"I do."

"You should deliver it in person then," Ayame said with a smile as she started to walk forward, much to Sesshoumaru's relief. "I'm sure she'd appreciate that a lot more than someone else delivering it for you."

"Possibly, but I don't know anything about her work schedule."

"What does that have to with anything?"

"She may not be at home or she may have plans with someone else."

"I highly doubt that," Ayame said with a knowing smile as she thought about how much her friend cared for this man. "Or you could simply call her and ask to see her and when the best time for her is. That will probably be better than simply turning up at her house unannounced I suppose, but it makes the whole thing lose the element of surprise."

"I doubt it would have had much of an element of surprise considering today's date," Sesshoumaru remarked drily.

"Oh do cheer up!" Ayame exclaimed, poking the tall man in the side. "If you have an attitude like that I wouldn't be surprised if she hit you over the head with the gift!"

"I doubt that she would be able to reach my head."

Ayame paused to look at the tall man who simply walked ahead and shook her head. She could've sworn that she saw a small smile curve his lips as he had spoken that last statement. Evidently he had a sense of humour as well as a romantic side to him. A grin crossed her face as she caught up with his long strides. She was going to have a lot to tell Rin next time she saw her.

* * *

Rin sighed as she sat down. Valentines Day always meant hard work for her what with all the fancy new lingerie that seemed to wait until this time of year to be put on sale. It was now late afternoon and she was having a break before they began the final part of the photo shoot. She wasn't nearly as tired as she had been a short while ago, but it was still tiring being in the glare of bright lights for hours on end and forcing a smile to her lips as she posed for various photos. Leaning forward in her chair, she rubbed her temples gingerly as she felt the beginnings of a headache. Fortunately, she had her own dressing room which meant that she could have a little peace and quiet while she was having her break. She glanced across the room to the comfortable looking sofa and wished that she could just curl up and go to sleep since she had no desire to go back out. Closing her eyes, Rin leaned back in her chair and sighed, enjoying the quiet before she found herself cursing when the shrill ringing of her phone broke the peaceful silence. Muttering a few choice curses under her breath, she dug through her bag and fished out her phone.

"Hello?" she answered in a weary voice.

"Rin?"

"Sesshoumaru?!" she asked in surprise.

"Yes, are you busy?"

"I'm on break at the moment so no, why do you ask?"

"I wanted to know if you were busy later today."

"No, I was planning to go straight home after work."

"I see, do you mind if I drop by?"

"Of course not," Rin said with a smile. "You're welcome to come by whenever you like. What time were you thinking of stopping by?"

"I finish work at 7pm so I was hoping you don't mind my dropping by on my way home."

"No, it's fine. I don't know what time I'll finish here so it might be better if you came here instead."

"Very well, where are you?"

As Rin gave Sesshoumaru her location, she couldn't keep the smile from her face. Her day had been going badly and now she felt infinitely better. It amazed her that simply hearing someone's voice was enough to lift her spirits, but she wondered if her spirits rose simply because it was Sesshoumaru who called. Pushing the thought aside, her smile widened as she promised to call him if she left before he arrived. As she put her phone back in her bag, Rin felt as though she had been revived as she rose to her feet and left the room to return to work.

Hours later, Rin was just closing the door to her dressing room and heading towards the exit when she remembered that Sesshoumaru would no doubt be waiting for her outside. A smile spread across her face as she hurried towards the door. Sure enough, Sesshoumaru was leaning against his car with a cigarette in his hand looking as though he were one of the male models she had worked with that day. He looked up when he heard the door open and heard someone call Rin's name. Sesshoumaru watched as Rin paused in the doorway, several bouquets in her arms and someone about to offer another one. A silver eyebrow rose as he watched her smile as accepted it before hurrying out the door, leaving a bewildered man standing in the doorway watching her leave. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smirk slightly knowing that she was hurrying towards him. He pushed himself upright as she came to a stop beside him and gave him a brilliant smile.

"I'm sorry I'm a bit late," she apologised hurriedly.

"Don't worry about it," Sesshoumaru said quietly before nodding to the flowers in her arms. "From you admirers?"

"Uh, they're more colleagues than admirers, but they would probably disagree with me," Rin said with a vague smile.

"Would you like a lift home?"

"If it's not too much trouble."

Nodding, Sesshoumaru took the flowers from her arms and gestured for her to get into the car. After placing the bouquets on the back seat, he slid into the car beside her. They sat in silence for a while as Sesshoumaru negotiated his way through the heavy traffic, but they eventually came to an almost complete stop as they entered a popular area of the city. Sesshoumaru sighed softly and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he stared at the long line of cars ahead of them. Smiling to herself, Rin turned her gaze to him.

"What did you want to see me about?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Ah, that," Sesshoumaru murmured, remembering his reason for wanting to see her and gesturing over his shoulder. "It's on the back seat."

Tilting her head slightly, Rin gave him a quizzical look before turning her gaze to the back seat. Her gaze landed on the bouquets that had been given to her and then she noticed a small bag beside them. Shifting in her seat, she reached for it and sat back to stare at it as she held it in her hands.

"This?" she asked, looking to Sesshoumaru for confirmation.

"Indeed," he replied, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

Rin turned the bag over in her hands, smiling as she examined the pale pink packaging. A giggle threatened to burst forth as she tried to imagine Sesshoumaru walking through a shopping centre carrying a pink bag. Smothering her giggles as best she could, Rin carefully opened the bag and peered inside. In the darkness of the car, she thought there was nothing inside it, but closer inspection revealed a dark box at the bottom of the bag. Reaching in, she pulled out the box and looked at it closely. Thinking that it might be a sweet of some kind, she opened it excitedly and her eyes widened when she saw the contents. Nestled in the shallow box on satin was an elegant silver bracelet with a delicate leaf pattern and embellished with tiny purple stones that she couldn't give a name to. Rin stared at the bracelet in amazement. She had definitely not been expecting to receive such a thing and from Sesshoumaru of all people. Eventually, she managed to tear her eyes away from it to look at the man beside her who was now watching her with interest.

"It's beautiful," she murmured, her eyes falling back to the bracelet.

"I had considered just getting you flowers, but I think it's a good thing I didn't," Sesshoumaru replied, his gaze turning back to the road ahead of them as they began moving again.

Rin giggled. "I'm glad you didn't. Flowers are nearly as pretty as this."

Without a word, Rin leaned over in her seat and gently kissed his cheek, murmuring a soft thank in his ear before sitting back in her seat with a smile on her face. Sesshoumaru stared ahead of him, at a loss for words and his mind completely blank as he made his way towards Rin's home. He had thought that the bracelet was pretty and Ayame had even berated him for only calling it pretty. She had definitely approved when he had bought that instead of flowers and had sent him off to find Rin while she returned home to wait for Kouga. Initially, Sesshoumaru had wondered how Rin would react when she saw it but he was pleased with the reaction he got, although he had to admit that the kiss was unexpected.

They sat in silence for the remainder of the journey and being the gentleman that he was, Sesshoumaru accompanied Rin to her door, carrying her numerous bouquets for her so that she could open her front door. She had smiled happily and beckoned him into the house and he followed her to the kitchen where he set down the flowers. In the light, he could now see that most of them were roses and he briefly wondered where she would put them all. Almost as though she knew what he was thinking, Rin smiled as she reached into a cupboard and pulled out several vases.

"This has happened every year for the past four years," she said as she began filling up the vases with water.

"You know what to expect then?" Sesshoumaru queried, sitting down on a nearby chair and watching as she neatly arranged the flowers.

"More or less," Rin agreed and then gave him a dazzling smile. "Your gift was a surprise though."

"It was certainly an interesting experience trying to find the right gift."

"I think you found the perfect gift, it's incredible. What are those purple stones?"

"Amethysts."

Rin stared at him. "Really?"

"Indeed."

Rin sat down opposite Sesshoumaru and stared at the bracelet that still sat in its box. It was probably the most expensive thing she owned. Her eyes widened when Sesshoumaru lifted it out of the box and put it around her slim wrist. He almost seemed to smile as he looked down at it and Rin smiled to herself.

Sesshoumaru's amber eyes widened when Rin suddenly stood up and walked over to him. He eyed her warily, not knowing what to expect but relaxed moments later when she simply wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Sighing to himself, he slipped his arms around her waist and relaxed against her. He heard her sigh in contentment and tightened his arms, enjoying the moment and knowing that it would probably be a long time until there was another moment such as this. Although he was afraid of hurting her, Sesshoumaru had to admit that being able to hold her whenever he pleased was a very appealing idea. It felt right for him to hold her in his arms and the more he thought about it, the more he didn't want to let go of her.

"Ah, sorry," Rin said with a sheepish smile as she stepped away and put some distance between them. "I was just so grateful for the gift, I forgot myself."

"I'm not complaining," Sesshoumaru murmured.

Giving him a vague smile over her shoulder, Rin turned away to make drinks for them. Watching her bustle around the kitchen, Sesshoumaru suddenly realised that there was a very domestic atmosphere surrounding them and he briefly wondered if this was what life for Kouga and Ayame was like before pushing the thought aside with a smirk. He knew that Ayame had forbidden Kouga from attempting any kind of cooking because of the mess he made and he doubted that any domestic life that pair had was not as peaceful as the domestic air that currently surrounded him and Rin. Tilting his head to one side, Sesshoumaru nodded his agreement with something Rin had said as he continued to watch her move confidently around the kitchen. He was suddenly hit with the idea that perhaps a relationship with Rin wouldn't be such a bad idea if this was going to be what it was like. Her presence was calming, her smile took his breath away and the list of other things he liked about her was almost endless, but it was as he was going over this list in his mind that he wondered if maybe he was being too cautious regarding a relationship with her.

* * *

The day after Rin had received the gift from Sesshoumaru, she found herself sitting at a table in a restaurant with that very man as well as Kouga and Ayame. She had received a sudden invitation to have dinner with the trio of friends and had readily accepted, jumping at an opportunity to see Sesshoumaru again so soon. After learning the location of the restaurant they would be eating at, Rin decided to dress to impress. Deciding to take Ayame's advice not to give up on the deal before she even started, she came to the conclusion that looking good would help her feel more confident.

"Rin, your bracelet is so pretty!" Ayame exclaimed, looking at the delicate silver chain around Rin's wrist.

"Thank you, it is beautiful," Rin agreed, smiling down at the bracelet.

"Was it a gift?" Kouga asked, peering across the table to see the piece of jewellery in question.

"It was."

As Kouga and Rin continued to talk, Ayame looked over to Sesshoumaru and was surprised to see an expression on his face that almost looked like pride. The tiniest of smiles curved his lips as he looked at Rin's smiling face and the gift he had given her sitting on her wrist. Throughout the evening, Ayame watched them carefully and saw every smile and look that passed between the pair. She couldn't help but smile as she watched them. They truly would make a good couple and one glance at her fiancée told her that he thought the exact same thing. It was obvious that there was something between them, but it was impossible to know if Rin and Sesshoumaru had noticed it. Ayame sighed to herself, if they hadn't noticed it yet, she hoped that they noticed it soon or something might come along to disrupt their little game and she could only pray that that didn't happen.


	10. Chapter 10

"_**The torment of precautions often exceeds the dangers to be avoided.**_

_**It is sometimes better to abandon one's self to destiny."**_

… **Napoleon Bonaparte … **

**Chapter X**

Sesshoumaru was in high spirits when he arrived at work the day after having dinner with Rin and his friends. He had been very pleased that Rin had worn his gift that night and he had noticed that she had looked exceptionally beautiful that night. The more he thought about Rin, the more he warmed to the idea of a relationship with her. After thinking long and hard about it the night before, he had decided that his fears of hurting her were getting the better of him and he was not pleased with that. There was a chance that a relationship between them not working, but there was also a chance of success. He now faced the idea of actually admitting that he had changed his mind to Rin and waiting to see if she was still willing to take their relationship that one step further, but how he would admit this to her, he had no idea. Pride prevented him from coming out and admitting it openly to her so he could only consider finding a way to tell her without using words.

Unfortunately for Sesshoumaru, what had started as a good day did not end in the same way. He had arrived at the scene of a fire with his colleagues half way through the afternoon and they had proceeded to deal with it as they would any other situation. As was the norm, Sesshoumaru was gone into the building to search for any still trapped within. When everyone else but him had returned, Kouga grew worried and had gone into the now crumbling building in search of his friend. The fire had been almost extinguished by the time Kouga emerged from the building with a semi-conscious Sesshoumaru at his side. Shouting for someone to call an ambulance, Kouga could only hope that his friend was not too badly injured.

Despite the fact that his eyes were closed and he didn't respond to the words Kouga almost shouted at him, Sesshoumaru was vaguely aware of his surroundings. He could hear the shouts of the people around him, but they sounded distant and he was aware of a dull throbbing pain. Before his eyes had drifted shut, he had seen Kouga coming towards him and breathed a silent sigh of relief, knowing that he would not die. Vaguely he remembered discovering that there were no people still in the building and upon turning to leave, a beam from the ceiling had come crashing down as the building started to disintegrate around him. Before he lost consciousness completely, however, Sesshoumaru was aware of being lifted and Kouga's voice saying something that he couldn't quite catch.

While Sesshoumaru was rushed to hospital with his friend at his side, Rin was on the other side of town just about to finish her latest photo shoot. Sighing to herself, she wondered what Sesshoumaru would say if he knew that she had been working with male models that day and pushed the thought aside. When she was finally finished for the day, she headed straight for her dressing room and into the shower in the bathroom. The warm water soothed her aching muscles and weary mind as she stood beneath the powerful jets of water. At one point she thought she could hear her phone ringing, but decided that there was no one in particular that she wanted to talk to since Sesshoumaru was still at work and Ayame was probably busy. It was most likely another job for her and if that was the case, she didn't want to know about it until at least tomorrow.

Reluctantly turning off the water, she shivered slightly as the cool air caressed her skin when she stepped out of the shower. Wrapping a towel around her, she padded into her dressing room and sat down beside her dresser, deciding to take her time getting dressed. She had nowhere to go and nothing to do, so there was no hurry. Her phone began to ring, breaking the peaceful silence of the room. Heaving a sigh, Rin got to her feet and made her way across to the table where her bag sat. Pulling it out, she frowned when she realised that it was Kouga calling her.

"This is surprise," she remarked drily. "To what do I owe the pleasure of having you call me?"

"Where have you been?!" Kouga demanded, ignoring her slightly sarcastic greeting. "Why didn't you answer the phone the first time I called?"

"I was in the shower if you must know," Rin said with a sigh. "What do you want Kouga?"

"You've got to come to the hospital now!"

"Why?"

"I'll explain when you get here, just come as soon as you can. Ask for me when you get there."

* * *

At the hospital, Kouga and Ayame sat at Sesshoumaru's bedside, waiting for him to wake. A doctor had examined him and given him the all clear and all that was left was for him to open his eyes. Rin had yet to arrive, but Kouga didn't know where she was when he had called her so he supposed it was understandable if she wasn't there immediately.

"You did call Rin, didn't you?" Ayame asked quietly, tightening her grip on Kouga's hand.

"Of course I did," he retorted in a low voice. "Stop worrying, she'll get here."

The pair fell into silence again for what seemed like hours but when the silence began to feel oppressive, Kouga excused himself to go and find drinks for him and his fiancée. Ayame was left to sit with Sesshoumaru and she prayed that Rin would arrive soon. Moving closer to the bed, she laid a hand over one of Sesshoumaru's and sighed to herself, wishing that her friend would open his eyes. She turned away to accept the coffee that Kouga brought back to her when he returned to the room but almost spilt it when she felt a slight twitch beneath her fingers. Her head snapped round to look at the man lying in bed and a sigh of relief escaped her lips when she saw amber eyes staring back at her. Noticing that his friend was awake, Kouga sat down heavily and grinned.

"Don't scare us like that, Sesh!" he said in a stern voice after a while.

"Sorry," Sesshoumaru replied in a hoarse voice.

"He's been worried sick about you," Ayame said with a smile, squeezing his hand gently as she spoke.

Sesshoumaru merely smirked and accepted Ayame's help to sit upright. Looking around the room, he noted that Rin was not present and he wondered why that was. Kouga gave him a slight grin that suggested he knew what his friend was thinking.

"Rin will be here soon," he said. "I think she was at work when I called her."

"It is taking her a long time though," Ayame said thoughtfully.

"We don't know where she was working though, so it might take a while for her to get here," Kouga said reasonably.

"As long as she gets here. I think Sesshoumaru really needs to see a pretty face," Ayame said with a teasing smile.

"Don't we all?" a male voice asked with mild amusement.

The trio turned to look at the doorway and saw a doctor standing in the doorway with a pleasant smile on his face. He came into the room and did a brief check up before smiling again a he scribbled something down onto the clipboard he carried in one hand. Adjusting his glasses, he looked at Sesshoumaru seriously.

"You're a very lucky man, Mr. Taisho," he said seriously. "You are lucky your friend found you when he did."

"Indeed," Sesshoumaru agreed quietly, looking at Kouga and nodding almost imperceptibly, knowing his friend would understand the meaning behind the gesture.

"We've done a thorough check-up and I'm pleased to say that your injuries are not serious. A few bumps and bruises, even the odd cut here and there, but otherwise you're fine. You suffered a concussion, but like I said, you're very lucky for someone who was trapped in a burning building."

"When I can I leave?"

"You're free to go whenever you like. However, I must insist that you return if you have any problems."

The doctor was pleasant and remained to talk to the trio for a while longer, eager to assuage their worries and answer their questions, but the sound of tapping against the tiled floors outside in the corridors caught their attention. About to resume their conversation regardless of the sound, everyone was stunned into silence when the door opened to reveal Rin leaning against the doorframe, panting slightly as though she had just run a marathon. Ayame grinned at her friend and had just risen to her feet to over to her when she stopped in her tracks and stared at her friend.

Pushing herself upright, Rin stared at the doctor standing beside Sesshoumaru's bed and her already slightly pale face seemed to pale even more as a look of recognition crossed her face. Her usually expressive face became impassive for a moment before it was replaced by a look of panic. Concerned, Ayame opened her mouth to question her friend, but her words were lost as Rin turned on her heel and fled back the way she had come, leaving her friends to stare at the now vacant doorway in surprise and confusion.

"I'll take my leave now," the doctor said politely and left the trio of friends alone.

Ayame sat down heavily and frowned as she tried to understand her friend's reasons for fleeing. Meanwhile, Kouga looked across to his friend and sighed to himself when he saw a look of concern on Sesshoumaru's face.

"Don't worry, Sesh," he said in an attempt to comfort his friend. "Maybe she doesn't like hospitals?"

"This is no time for jokes, Kouga!" Ayame exclaimed. "What if something is seriously wrong?"

"Then we'll find out when we see her. She's bound to be around here somewhere."

"Before we do that, I want to get dressed. I don't want to have to stay here longer than necessary," Sesshoumaru murmured.

"I bought you some clothes," Ayame said with a smile and place a small pile of clothes on the edge of the bed.

A short while later, the trio of friends were making their way towards the main reception so that Sesshoumaru could sign his release forms. Kouga and Ayame looked around for signs of Rin but saw none. Just as they were about to leave, they heard a commotion coming from one of the meeting rooms nearby and looked quizzically at one of the nurses behind the desk.

"It happens sometimes," the woman said with a shrug and small smile. "It's probably someone who can't handle bad news. Don't worry about it too much, the doctor will handle it."

Despite what the nurse said, the noise was disturbing and everyone, including Sesshoumaru and his friends, couldn't help but stare at the closed door as they listened to the muffled sound of raised voices. The doorknob turned, indicating that someone was coming out and everyone instantly tried to appear as though they had not been trying to listen in to the conversation. In any other situation, Sesshoumaru might have found this almost comical action quite amusing, but since this was a hospital, there was probably nothing amusing about what was happening behind that door.

The door burst open and a woman rushed out of the room as though trying to escape something. It was impossible to identify her since she gave her back to everyone, but Sesshoumaru frowned slightly as he watched the scene unfold. The doctor reached out to grab her arm, but she pulled it free and hastily put more distance between them. Sesshoumaru instantly recognised the doctor as the one who had treated him. The man seemed to sigh before reaching into his pocket and withdrawing a small container of tablets and offering them to the woman.

"At least take one," he requested, offering her one tablet. "It will help, I promise. It is only a mild tranquiliser."

"I don't want it!" the woman exclaimed loudly, backing away from the outstretched hand.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as he recognised her voice. There was no doubting that the woman was Rin. He was about to take a step forward when the doctor began to speak again.

"You have a mental disorder, you did not finish your treatment," he said calmly with his polite smile still in place. "You need to let me treat you."

"There is nothing wrong with me," Rin said in an angry voice. "I don't want your treatments."

"Depression must be treated. It is obvious that you still suffer from it."

"I was never depressed!"

"But you were! You told me so."

"I didn't!" Rin denied, her anger growing as she continued to back away from the doctor.

"Yes, you did," the man insisted. "You told me that only hours before attempting to commit suicide, don't you remember?"

There was complete silence in the room. The doctor didn't seem to notice that they had gathered an audience and if he did, he didn't seem to care. Rin stared at the man in shock before sighing and turning around to walk out of the hospital. Her eyes widened when she turned around and found Kouga, Ayame and Sesshoumaru were among the audience and staring at her with looks of surprise and shock. Her first instinct was to run straight past them and out the door, but her legs felt like lead and refused to move. A part of her wanted to explain the situation and another part didn't want to even think about it. Gathering her courage, she took a step towards a door but found herself coming to a stop soon after.

"You know I'm right," the doctor continued, approaching her once again. "You may not remember it, but you did attempt it."

Rin frowned and rounded on the man, glaring daggers at him. "If I did, I wonder who the cause of it was."

The doctor seemed to grimace at that statement as he came closer to her. "You know that was not intentional."

Now at the end of her tether and desiring nothing more than to get out of the hospital, Rin reached out and slapped the man as hard as she could. While he was still reeling from the shock of what had just happened, she turned around and ran through the doors, leaving everyone to stare after her in confusion. Sesshoumaru regained his composure first and looked at the doctor carefully for a moment. The man seemed to have recovered and was now looking out the door with an expression of irritation. Seeming to remember where he was, he pasted a smile to his face and turned around to go back into his office. Glancing at his friends, he saw that Kouga was still gaping in shock and Ayame looked over at Sesshoumaru briefly before gesturing towards the door with her thumb before turning back to Kouga.

Nodding in understanding, Sesshoumaru made his way out the door and looked around for any sign of Rin. He could see a feminine figure standing beside the road up ahead and after a while of debating whether or not it was Rin, Sesshoumaru decided to take the chance and hastily made his way towards the figure. When the woman heard his footsteps, she whirled around and revealed herself to be the very person he was looking for. Rin stared at him as he approached, almost as though she couldn't believe her eyes. Looking at her closely, Sesshoumaru almost frowned when he saw tears running down her cheeks. He paused as he reached her and looked at her slightly fearful face before wrapping his arms around here and pulling her close. Rin stiffened in shock for a moment and then relaxed against him as she let her tears flow.

By the time Rin had calmed down and stopped crying, Kouga and Ayame were leaving the hospital and walking towards them. Rin began to panic as she saw them approaching, but calmed slightly when Sesshoumaru tightened his arms around her. Looking up, she saw a gentle look in his eyes and knew that he was trying to reassure her in his own way. Nodding her understanding, she stepped back and dried her eyes. She wasn't given time to think when she looked up before Ayame barrelled towards her and wrapped her arms tightly around her friend.

"You're okay now," Ayame murmured to her friend before turning to look at the two men. "I think we should all go home."

* * *

A short while later, everyone was sitting in Sesshoumaru's apartment. Ayame was fussing over Sesshoumaru, making sure he was comfortable and reminding him that he had just been released from hospital every time he tried to protest. When she was satisfied, she sat down beside Kouga and almost as soon as she did so, a heavy silence fell over the room. Rin had simply sat in the corner of the room with her face buried in her arms and had not said a word since they arrived. It was almost painful to see the usually bright and bubbly Rin so upset, but the three friends didn't know what to do to lift her spirits.

"I'm sorry," Rin said eventually, lifting her head slightly to look at her friend with tearful eyes. "I should go."

She stood up on shaky feet and made her way across the room. As she passed Sesshoumaru's seat on the large sofa, an equally large hand wrapped itself around her wrist, pulling her down onto the sofa. Looking around with wide eyes, she realised that that gesture was Sesshoumaru's way of telling her that she wasn't going anywhere. Sighing softly, she looked down at her hands.

"Don't worry, Rin," Ayame said with a slight smile. "We won't judge you for what happened in the past, it's the present we're concerned about."

"Thanks," Rin murmured softly, not raising her eyes. "But I suppose I should tell you. It's not really a scene you can dismiss easily, especially after what he said."

A look of anguish crossed Rin's face as she thought about where to start with her story. It seemed so long ago, like a different lifetime, but she found herself unable to speak of it. Sighing softly, she rubbed her eyes before looking out the nearby window.

"That man, that doctor," she said softly. "He… we were a couple a few years ago. It ended badly and he resented me because of it. Everything he said back at the hospital, all of what he said was true, but he makes it sound as though it's my fault when it's not."

"Everything?" Ayame asked, paling at the memory of the doctor saying something about suicide.

Rin nodded. "Yes, everything, but his story is different to mine. No one would believe me over a doctor though and since he claimed I had a mental disorder, it made people even less likely to believe me so I never spoke about it."

"So he's a liar then?" Kouga asked, frowning as he listened.

"I suppose you could say that," Rin said. "I was depressed, that part if true, but whether or not depression is a mental disorder, I don't know. What he says about suicide though is not true."

Rin smiled slightly as her friends seemed to release a collective sigh of relief. Turning away, looked out the window again with a slight frown. Sesshoumaru watched and suddenly realised that what Ayame had said about Rin possibly having had a bad past was actually quite true.

"It was not a loving relationship by any stretch of the imagination," Rin said quietly, catching everyone's attention again. There was abuse, mainly verbal, but physical sometimes as well. Eventually, I got fed up with it and knowing I could do better than him, I left. He hated me for it and seemed to be everywhere I went, asking me to come back to him. I said no, of course, but he didn't stop. After a while, he seemed to give up and I didn't see or hear from him in months, but it all changed when I ended up having to rely on him again."

"But why would you have to do that?" Ayame asked in confusion. "Surely you could've found someone else?"

"If it had been my choice, I would've done," Rin said with a sad smile. "There was an accident though and I was admitted to the hospital with sever injuries along with the rest of my family. I can't remember where we had been going or why, but I remember colliding with something and when I woke up, the first thing I saw was that man's face. Needless to say, I recovered, but my family did not. My parents died shortly after arriving at the hospital apparently."

"I'm so sorry," Ayame murmured, tears filling her eyes as she looked at her friend.

"I suffered from depression after that for a long time and my friends made sure that I was readmitted to hospital, but I discovered that my doctor was once again, that man. He seemed to take quite a lot of pleasure in informing about all my problems, but I ignored it, hoping he would be professional about the situation. It seemed like he would be at first, but then he started giving me my medication instead of the nurse. I didn't think much of it at first and it took me a while to realise that the dosage had been increased. I later realised that the confusion I had been suffering was a result of him giving me too much of the anti-depressant I had been prescribed," Rin sighed and leaned back, glancing at her friends and flinching inwardly at the murderous look in Sesshoumaru's eyes. "I was fortunate that one of the nurses was present in the room one day when he came to give me my medication and noticed that he was giving me more than I needed. She had stopped him and told him that the dosage was wrong, but when he argued that it wasn't, she called in another doctor who had agreed with her."

"What would've happened if the nurse hadn't noticed that?" Ayame asked almost too afraid to ask in case she didn't like the answer.

"Like I said, I was lucky. The dosage increased slowly over the week and a half I was there. No one would have noticed that it had increased because it seemed that he had gone to great lengths to make sure that it wasn't noticed. That day, however, he had simply gone all out and I would've died if I had taken it," Rin said with a shrug.

Everyone stared at her in stunned silence. It was strange to think that the cheerful Rin that they had come to know had avoided death not once, but twice. Sesshoumaru felt a sudden relief and sent a prayer to whichever deity was listening, thanking them for Rin having had such an observant nurse that day. What amazed him the most was that Rin could speak about that day with such a calm voice.

"I don't know what happened to him after that," Rin admitted. "It seems that he wasn't punished for it though if he's still working as a doctor. Anyway, I was released from hospital soon after that, given medication to take and that was the end of it. Life went back to normal and I recovered, but after all that had happened there, I couldn't stay there without reliving all the bad memories. I packed up and moved to the city shortly after I finished university and started my career as a model soon after that."

"It ended pretty well then until today, huh?" Kouga said thoughtfully. "Is there nothing you can do about him?"

"Not as far as I know. My story is a bit far fetched as it is; as soon as that man mentions a 'mental disorder' my whole story seems even more unreal," Rin said with a slight smile. "It doesn't matter much anymore. The city is large, it's unlikely that I'll ever meet him again."

Ayame and Kouga smiled at Rin as she spoke, knowing that it was her way of convincing herself that everything was alright. They weren't going to contradict her and decided the best they could do was to watch over her and help her stay happy. They both gave her hugs and excused themselves, leaving with a lot to think about. Sesshoumaru sat still on the sofa, having not said a word to her at all since he had left the hospital. He simply at still, watching her carefully as though trying to decide what to do. Rin sighed and turned around to face him, thinking carefully about what she was about to say.

"Now that you know everything," she said, looking down at her hands when she was unable to maintain eye contact. "I think it's probably best to end this game we're playing. As it turns out, I'm not the sort of person someone like you should be associating with."

Sesshoumaru smirked at that comment, impressed that she had remembered his words. He frowned slightly as he tried to think of a way to voice his thoughts and that was something he had never been particularly good at. If he was totally, he didn't care at all about her past. It was sad what had happened, but he was just grateful that she was there now and he had a suspicion that if she walked out that door now, he would probably never see her again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rin getting to her feet, apparently taking his silence for agreement.

Before she could even take one step towards the door, Sesshoumaru had pulled her down onto the sofa for the second time that day. She looked at him with surprise and confusion written all over her face. Her eyes widened as she felt a hand cup her cheek and pull her forward. All thought vanished from her mind when she felt lips against hers and after a moment of hesitation, she began to respond. Moments later, she was lost to the sensations evoked within her when Sesshoumaru deepened the kiss and pulled her close against him. When they parted for air, Rin smiled slightly and wrapped her arms around Sesshoumaru's shoulders.

"The game will end today," Sesshoumaru said quietly, tightening his arms when he felt Rin try to pull away.

"I'm sorry?" Rin asked in confusion.

"The game will end to day," Sesshoumaru repeated. "But the only reason it ends is because you have changed my mind."

"Really?"

"Yes."

The first proper smile of the past few hours crossed Rin's face as she looked back at the stoic man still holding her close. In return, he gave her a small smile and leaned down to capture her lips in a hungry kiss. She felt better now that Sesshoumaru knew her past, the worry that he might find out and push her away was now gone and the joy she felt that he hadn't pushed her away now that he knew was indescribable. It was definitely the beginning of something good.

* * *

**AN:** I was tempted to end the story here and just write an epilogue, but it seems to be a bit of an abrupt ending. I may add some more chapters, but let me know what you think :) Thank you for all the reviews! :)

xMxAx


	11. Epilogue

**AN**: Firstly I'd like to apologise for not replying to the reviews you sent in response to the previous chapter, but I read them all and tried to address the suggestions as best I could! I'm sorry it's quite short, but when I got to the end of the final paragraph, I couldn't really think of anything that would make a better ending. The ending is a bit cliché, but I wanted to try ending the story from Sesshoumaru's point of view instead of Rin's for a change. Hopefully this answers a few questions that the rest of the story didn't, if not, a rewrite of this chapter may be in order sometime in the future. I hope it works out and you enjoy the final instalment of this story :) Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story and the last chapter with their suggestions – it's greatly appreciated! :)

xMxAx

"_**Destiny is not a matter of chance.**_

_**It is a matter of choice:**_

_**It is not a thing to be waited for,**_

_**It is a thing to be achieved."**_

… **William Jennings Bryan … **

**Epilogue**

After the disastrous day at the hospital which had led to everyone discovering Rin's tragic past, things had taken a turn for the better. Days turned to weeks and weeks became months and still Sesshoumaru and Rin's relationship remained strong. Kouga and Ayame's wedding came and went and eventually, Sesshoumaru proposed to Rin. It had taken him a long time to muster up the courage to finally ask her, but he was elated when she had agreed. Months and months of planning passed by quickly and the day finally dawned when Rin found herself preparing to walk down the aisle.

"I can't believe the day's finally here!" Ayame exclaimed, waddling over to her friend as they sat in the dressing room.

"It's quite surreal," Rin agreed as she looked around her and cast her mind back.

The most surreal experience she had had while being with Sesshoumaru was definitely when she met his family. A man she had met at the fire station when she had visited Sesshoumaru had been present when she met his parents and she wasn't entirely surprised to discover that he was, in fact, Sesshoumaru's young half brother. What did surprise her was how different they were personality wise when they were so alike with how they looked. Sesshoumaru was aloof and cold to those he wasn't close to, but his brother, Inuyasha, was the complete opposite. Inuyasha was loud and boisterous and Rin got the distinct impression that the brothers did not see eye to eye. However, she took an immediate liking to Inuyasha's wife, Kagome, and the two became fast friends.

Rin soon discovered that Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were not fond of each other because of their different mothers. Sesshoumaru's mother had been the daughter of an aristocrat who had fallen deeply in love with his father, Inutaisho, at a young age. They married and lived happily with their son until insecurities on the part of both adults began to cause a rift between them. It was then, during the long times they spent apart, that Inutaisho had met Izayoi, his current wife. A relationship had blossomed between them and when Sesshoumaru's mother had discovered it, she had flown into a fit of rage and jealousy, demanding a divorce.

Needless to say, Sesshoumaru had been passed from one parent to the other for many years and when Inuyasha had come along, that had been the proverbial icing on the cake. For many years, Sesshoumaru had blamed Izayoi for his parents' divorce and had taken out his frustrations on his younger brother before retreating into himself. While his father had been happily creating a happy family with Izayoi and Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru had had to deal with his mother's bad temper and her habits of bringing arbitrary men home with her each evening. He couldn't remember ever seeing the same man twice, but he had never taken the time to look carefully enough at them when they arrived and he never saw them leave.

As he grew older, the environment took its toll on him and he retreated even further into himself. The once cheerful child became quiet and withdrawn from those around him. His happy nature became cold and his smile ceased to appear until eventually, he became apathetic to just about everything and everyone around him. When his mother had eventually drunk herself to death, he didn't shed a tear at her funeral and nor did he show that he was upset by her passing. His father took him in and Izayoi had desperately tried to get him to come out of his shell, but he had stubbornly refused to have anything to do with her or Inuyasha. As a result, his cold nature had followed him into adulthood and even though he was now on better terms with Inuyasha and Izayoi, it was obvious to anyone that the relationship between them all was strained.

Rin sighed to herself as she rose to her feet and brought her mind back to the present. The whole family would be present today and as she thought about everything that had happened, she couldn't help but be grateful for the people she had been fortunate enough to meet. The disastrous relationship with the doctor, Hiten, and the loss of her parents were all part of life and all part of the process to finding her happiness. She knew that she would not have been content if she had had a simple life because even though there had been traumatic experiences, they had made her the person she was now and she was happy with who she was.

Now, as she made her way to the doors that led into the church, she smiled as she saw Kouga standing there, waiting for her with his usual toothy grin in place. There was no questioning the fact that she had been very lucky throughout her life. Even though she had no family to sit and witness this ceremony and no parents to weep over their daughter as she married the man of her dreams, she knew that she wouldn't trade her life as it was now for anything. It was perfect just the way it was.

* * *

Rin sat happily in living room of the house she and Sesshoumaru had lived in since their marriage. Sesshoumaru was in his study working as he always did in the evening and her youngest daughter sat quietly on the floor just in front of her, happily colouring in pictures. There was a content silence in the house until a slam echoed through the house and she looked up to see Sesshoumaru striding down the corridor towards the living room where Rin sat. The expression on his face showed irritation, but she knew that the irritation was really a mask for his worry. Before she could give the matter much thought, another slam echoed throughout the silent house and both adults turned to see their two eldest children walk into the house.

The couple's eldest were twins, a boy and a girl, although they were now both adolescents. Although they were twins, they were as different as night and day and the differences between them never ceased to amuse their parents who tolerantly broke up the numerous arguments and sometimes fights that the pair had engaged in with their frustration with each other. Despite it all, the pair were very close and even though they tried very hard to hide that fact and would vehemently deny it every time the matter was brought up, they were also the best of friends.

"I wonder what they're fighting about this time?" Rin mused as her husband sat down beside her.

"Something inconsequential probably," Sesshoumaru muttered, leaning forward to look over his daughter shoulder as she continued to colour as though nothing had happened.

"They always fight, mama," the little girl said suddenly, turning around to look at both adults seriously.  
"Yes, I know they do, dear," Rin said with a vague smile as she watched her daughter climb onto her father's lap and sigh happily. "I wish they would be a bit more careful with their surroundings though. One day a door is going to fall off its hinges."

"But if it did happen, papa would be able to fix it!" the little girl said with a grin as she looked at her father, confident in his abilities to fix any problem.

"I'm sure he could, Mio," her mother replied with a chuckle.

The conversation was disrupted when their son, Yuuki, walked into the room with a frown on his usually cheerful face. He nodded a greeting at his parents before moving past them to the table where all three children often did their homework together. Setting down how pile of books with a sigh, he sat down and began flipping through the pages of a textbook until he found the required page and began writing furiously. Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru wrapped an arm around Rin's waist as he watched his son furiously write out his homework, but his attention was drawn to the doorway when the other twin appeared. Saki frowned at the sight of her brother but said nothing as she sat down and she too began to work silently.

"Did you two have a good day at school?" Rin asked, trying desperately to hide her amusement at how the pair were ignoring each other.

"Yes, mother," Yuuki replied, looking up from his work to smile at his parents before turning his attention back to his work.

"No, mama," Saki replied shortly, turning around with tearful eyes.

"What happened, dear?" Rin asked, confused by the sudden tears and held her arms out to her daughter.

The girl said nothing as she slipped out of her chair and sat beside her mother, burying her face in her shoulder. Yuuki shook his head slightly as he watched the scene unfold with a look of disbelief on his face. It was rare for him to have an expression of such obvious displeasure. He, like Saki, had inherited his father's short temper but he was more adept at controlling it and had seemingly infinite patience whereas Saki was liable to spontaneously explode in a fit of rage when her patience was tested.

"It's entirely your own fault your day was so bad," Yuuki said in a unusually cold voice as he turned back to his work.

"It was you who ruined it!" Saki exclaimed, sitting up abruptly, her amber eyes flashing with anger as she glared at her brother.

"Because of what you were doing," the calmer twin said with exaggerated patience.

Saki seemed to be unable to find words to reply with as she stared at her brother. Huffing angrily, she flipped a strand of long brown hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms. Yuuki merely shook his head, closing his brown eyes as he leaned back in his chair. Rin smiled to herself, musing over how her children were most definitely a mixture of both parents. Saki had inherited her brown hair but her father's eyes while Yuuki was the exact opposite and the youngest, Mio could pass for an almost exact replica of Rin when she was a child. Sitting upright, Yuuki glared at his sister as he brushed his bangs from his eyes.

"You had better tell them, Saki," he said in a quiet voice. "You'll get in trouble if you don't."

"Tell who?" Rin asked, looking curiously between the twins.

"You and father," Yuuki said, crossing his arms as he looked expectantly at his sister.

"Saki, what have you done this time?" Sesshoumaru asked with traces of amusement in his voice as he looked at his daughter.

"I didn't do anything, papa!" she exclaimed, rounding on him and giving him a hurt look. "You always assume the worst, but it was Yuuki's fault this time!"

"What did you do?" Sesshoumaru asked again, eyes narrowing as he began to realise that he probably wasn't going to like what he heard.

Everyone in the room watched expectantly as the girl gulped at the tone in her father's voice and looked away guiltily. Rin shook her head, knowing that she must've done something bad this time if Yuuki was upset as well. The calmer twin always seemed unmoved by his sister's sometimes violent antics that frequently got her into trouble at school, but this seemed like a different matter entirely.

"Saki has been given a month's worth of detentions," Yuuki said eventually.

"It was your fault!"

"No, you were in the wrong."

"I'm not in the wrong! There is no rule anywhere that says I can't kiss who I like, when I like!" Saki declared hotly, glaring at her brother before realising what she had just said.

A shriek of dismay left her lips as she tried to leap from the sofa but was held in place by her mother's arms that were still wrapped around her. Rin tightened her grip on the girl as she began to struggle and looked at her husband who narrowed his eyes dangerously. Sitting upright, Sesshoumaru placed Mio on her feet and nudged her towards her brother who obligingly lifted her onto his lap as they prepared to watch the scene unfold.

"Just who have you been kissing?" Rin asked, amusement in her voice, but not loosening her grip.

"Just a boy at school," Saki said quietly, realising that she couldn't escape.

"Why do you have detention because of that?" Sesshoumaru asked with a frown.

Saki sighed. "Yuuki walked in and saw us but he misunderstood the situation, thinking that the boy was forcing himself on me when he wasn't."

"Yuuki wasn't in the wrong, dear," Rin said quietly, loosening her grip and kissing her daughter's forehead affectionately. "He's just looking out for you. Besides, you shouldn't be doing things like that at school. There's a time and a place for things like that."

"You shouldn't be doing it at all," Yuuki interrupted. "You know what father's rules are regarding that."

"Indeed," Rin agreed. "The rules have always been that your father and I must meet the boy before such a thing happens."

"I didn't mean to break the rule," Saki said, her eyes filling with tears as she spoke, afraid to meet her father's gaze. "It just sort of happen, I guess."

Rin nodded in understanding, well aware how emotions can take over and rid you of any sensible thought, but she wondered if Sesshoumaru would be so forgiving. He was very protective of all the members of his family and even more so of the three females, but surely he would understand? She glanced at him and smiled when she saw a thoughtful expression on his face. Releasing her daughter completely, Rin got to her feet and walked over to Mio and Yuuki. Picking up the youngest, she tugged Yuuki along with her as she left the room, leaving the father and daughter alone.

Wishing that her mother had stayed, Saki gulped again as she slowly turned around to face her father, wondering how bad her punishment would be. Much to her surprise, Sesshoumaru simply reached across the small distance between them and wrapped his arms around her.

"Papa?" she asked hesitantly, looking up into his eyes when he finally released her.

"You must understand," Sesshoumaru began slowly, trying to choose his words carefully. "You are my daughter and Yuuki's sister. Both of us are perfectly within our rights to be protective of you. That's not to say that we can be overbearing about it, but please try not to make us worry."

"I'm sorry, papa," Saki said sheepishly, looking down at her hands.

"Why did you get detention?"

"I shouted at Yuuki when he walked in and it sort of ended up in one of the usual fights," she said with a blush. "A teacher walked in and gave me detention on the spot."

"Your brother was only acting with your best interests at heart," Sesshoumaru said gently, ruffling her hair as wrapped an arm around her.

"I know."

"Can you forgive him?"

"Of course, papa."

"Perhaps you should tell him," he suggested. "He may not look it, but he is upset that you are angry at him because of this."

Nodding, Saki jumped to her feet after kissing her father's cheek and left the room in search of her brother. Shaking his head at his daughter's antics, Sesshoumaru got to his feet and walked into the kitchen where he knew Rin would be with Mio. Predictably, the youngest member of the family raced towards him as soon as he walked in and he scooped her up in his arms before stopping beside his wife who was gazing out the window into the garden with a smile.

Slipping an arm around her, Sesshoumaru looked out the window and saw Saki talking to her brother who was looking at her with a disapproving look on his face. Briefly, Sesshoumaru wondered if maybe Yuuki was more upset about the situation than he thought, he sighed a silent sigh of relief when the boy wrapped his arms around his sister. Rin smiled and looked up at Sesshoumaru as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I don't know what magic you possess," Rin said with a smile. "But you're probably one of the only people Saki will listen to and not disobey."

"I possess no magic," Sesshoumaru replied with a smirk. "She simply fears the punishment that she would get if she did disobey."

"No, she's a daddy's girl," Mio suggested, joining the conversation and grinning at her parents.

"No, dear," Rin disagreed with a smile. "I think you're a daddy's girl."

"Is Yuuki a mommy's boy?" the little girl queried with a slight frown.

"I am not," a displeased voice interrupted.

Rin laughed as she held out her arms for her eldest children. They willingly went to her and joined her laughter moments later. The little family retired to the living room and Sesshoumaru watched his family with a sense of pride building within him as he thought about how dear the people in the room were to him. It was obvious that the twins adored their mother and it was just as obvious that Mio had her father wrapped neatly around her little finger, but life was happy. There were a few arguments and the occasional fight when Saki lost her temper, but all in all, Sesshoumaru concluded that he couldn't have asked for a better family.


End file.
